Downfall
by alastingimpression
Summary: FINISHED! Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives. Please, please review!
1. One: Nichols and Dimes

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter One: Nichols and Dimes**

Lucy Kinkirk had taken motherhood to a new level. The whole garage apartment had been completely childproofed and redecorated for their new daughter, Gabriella, and her benefit. Only a month after giving birth, Lucy was well on her way to getting back her figure and into a normal routine. Kevin's worries that Lucy was overdoing it again were consistent. His offers to help her were always rejected, as she insisted on doing everything herself.

Her abstinence class still had a few sessions to go. It had been relatively successful, and Lucy had found herself counseling and talking with a few of the girls over some ice cream. In fact, she was on her way to meet two sisters, Darcy and Marcy. Kevin was at work, and Lucy couldn't find anyone to baby-sit Gabriella. Lucy had decided to bring her along.

With Gabriella in her carrier, Lucy walked alone to the promenade. The carrier was heavy, but Lucy had no problems with it. It was a cool day. The wind was blowing. Lucy glanced at Gabriella. She looked a lot like her parents. She had light hair, blue eyes, and an adorable smile. She cooed, and Lucy smiled at her. She was almost to the restaurant in which she was going to meet Darcy and Marcy, when she noticed a man she recognized. He was standing alone, drinking a cup of coffee. Smiling, Lucy walked toward him. She put Gabriella's carrier down. His back was toward her, and she covered his eyes with her hands. It wasn't hard, as he was a short man of only 5'8".

"Let me guess," The man stated. He spoke with a light British accent. His hands covered hers as she strained to keep from laughing. "Your hands are small and soft, so you're obviously either a woman or a very gay man. You're not hitting on me, are you? Sir?" Lucy began giggling, despite her efforts. "Oh, now I'd recognize that laugh anywhere. Lucy Kinkirk?" She removed her hands from his eyes. He spun around to face her, smiling.

"Nichol Smith," Lucy stated, smiling, "You never cease to amaze me."

"Or amuse you, apparently," Nichol added, "Where are you off to on this cold day?"

"I'm meeting some girls for ice cream or a soda or something," Lucy answered, "Two sisters from my abstinence class. Did Kevin tell you about that?"

"He's mentioned it," Nichol recalled, "Kevin's incredibly proud of you, you know." Lucy smiled. They sat down together at an outside table of a coffee shop. Lucy picked up Gabriella from her carrier and held her.

"I know," Lucy stated, "I'm so in love with him. I don't think it's true that you stop loving someone after marriage. They say the excitement goes away, but with Kevin, everything is always wonderful." Nichol smiled.

"I feel the same way about Amelia," Nichol replied, referring to his wife, "I don't know where I'd be without her. She saved me, I swear it."

"Saved you from what?" Lucy asked, curiously. Nichol grinned.

"The eternal question," He simply stated.

Nichol had once worked with Kevin on the police force. They'd gotten to be good friends with each other. Because of this, Lucy had also gotten to know Nichol's wife, Amelia. Nichol had recently quit the force. He'd found himself in physical pain because of the strenuous demands of the job. He was a small man of twenty-six with short, blondish-brown hair, an unshaven face, and sparkling green eyes.

"Are you guys still planning on moving?" Lucy wanted to know. She'd remembered his opinions of Glen Oak, and how he'd like to move to a big city.

"Yes, actually," Nichol answered, taking a sip of his coffee. He continued, "Amelia and I are actually in the process of finding a home in New York." Lucy smiled.

"That's so exciting," Lucy commented, smiling, "What city in New York?" Nichol shrugged.

"I really had my heart set on Albany, but Amelia really wanted Buffalo," Nichol explained, "That's where Kevin's from, right?" Lucy nodded.

"I was visiting my sister there," Lucy replied, "That's how we met. Not the most romantic setting ever, but I guess I'm just a sap for that kind of thing."

"Me too," Nichol agreed, "I met Amelia in high school and we did that whole 'friends with benefits' thing. That didn't work too well when we realized we were in love. Isn't that a story to tell your grandkids?" They laughed. He took another sip of his coffee.

"Can I have a drink of that?" Lucy wanted to know, "I'm incredibly thirsty."

"Be my guest," Nichol said, handing Lucy the paper cup. She took a drink, then stared at the cup.

"What is in this?" She wanted to know. Nichol smiled deviously.

"I've always found coffee to be better served with spoonful of vodka," He laughed, "I wondered if you'd notice that." Gabriella began to cry.

"See? You've made my daughter cry," Lucy joked.

"Can I hold her?" Nichol asked, "The British are known to be good with kids." Lucy rolled her eyes, but handed Gabriella across the table to Nichol. She immediately began to laugh. Lucy stared at Nichol.

"How did you do that?" Lucy demanded, "She never quits that fast." Nichol glanced at Lucy, but quickly back to Gabriella.

"I told you," He scoffed, "The British are known to be good with kids. She's so beautiful." He looked up at Lucy. "I always wanted kids, but Amelia said it wasn't a good idea. She doesn't think she'd make a very good mother. Of course it's my job to tell her that she would be."

"I don't know what I'd do if Kevin told me he didn't want kids," Lucy stated, "I grew up in a big family, so I figure I should have one." Nichol smiled.

"How many kids do you want?" He wanted to know. Lucy shrugged.

"At least three," She decided, "Maybe more. Who knows?" Nichol nodded, then glanced at his watch.

"What time were you supposed to meet the sisters?" Nichol wanted to know. Lucy's eyes went wide.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed, "What time is it?"

"Four twenty," Nichol answered.

"Crap! I'm late!" Lucy shouted, then stood up and began to run. Nichol glanced at the baby in his arms.

"Hello Gabriella," He greeted her, using a baby voice, "You're so cute. Yes, you are. You're so small. Yes. I wonder how long it'll take Mommy to figure out that you're not with her." Gabriella continued to stare at him. She cooed.

Nichol finished his cup of coffee and carried Gabriella with him as he threw it away. He noticed that Lucy had taken the carrier. He laughed and rolled his eyes at Gabriella, who began playing with her feet. Nichol watched the baby in amusement for a few more minutes before he felt a hand slap his head violently. He turned around, smiling, and laughed at the look on Lucy's face.

"Why didn't you come and find me?" Lucy shouted.

"Lower your voice," Nichol told her, "I figured when you realized that you left something behind, you'd come back for it. You did. See? Everything worked out like I thought it would."

"Nichol Smith! Your practical jokes aren't very funny when they involve my baby!" Lucy yelled, "And don't tell me to lower my voice!"

"Fine," Nichol replied, "I'll never do it again? Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Lucy said, sarcastically, "I'm taking my baby now." Nichol handed Gabriella to Lucy.

"You know," Nichol began, "I could watch her if you want me to. You seem to have a pretty busy life. I'm still off of work on medical leave. Like I said, I'm great with kids."

"I don't think I'll be needing you, but thanks for offering," Lucy replied, "Sorry for going off on you. I get like that sometimes. Anyway, thanks for the company. I needed it. It turns out that the girls had already met up with some other friends. It looks like I'll be going home now. I'll call Amelia sometime this week."

"All right," Nichol answered, smiling, "See you, Luce." Lucy smiled back and walked away. She began on her journey home.

She'd walked a few minutes, and was getting close to home, when she heard footsteps rushing toward her. As Lucy turned around, she felt a group of men fly right into her, running as fast as they could. It was a gang running from the police, who were hot on their tail in three police cars. A gunshot flew into the air as a warning to the police that they were armed. As they ran into her, they knocked Lucy to the ground. Gabriella fell from her carrier, crying, and was kicked across the sidewalk. The gang continued on, unconcerned with Lucy and the baby. Gabriella was as a football under their feet. She was trampled, then kicked to the side of the curb. Lucy jumped up, her arm throbbing, and ran to her daughter. Gabriella was motionless. A police car pulled over and Kevin got out. He rushed to Lucy, who was holding their barely-breathing daughter in her arms.

"Lucy!" Kevin exclaimed, "Are you guys ok?" Lucy shook her head. Blood was coming from her nose, but she held Gabriella to Kevin.

"I'll be ok, but she's not moving!" Lucy explained. Kevin took his daughter and put her in the cop car. He drove away, absentmindedly leaving Lucy behind.


	2. Two: Time Is Our Friend

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. One thing I think you should know: this story isn't really about what it seems to be about at first. And I know it's slow, but that's the only way I can make it work. Hope you like.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Two: Time Is Our Friend**

Lucy ran as fast as she could back home. As soon as she reached it, she ran inside and began yelling as loud as she could.

"Somebody! Is anybody here?" Lucy yelled. Ruthie and Martin rushed downstairs, curious.

"What are you yelling about?" Martin wanted to know. Ruthie noticed her sister's bloody nose and tear streaked face.

"Lucy? Are you ok? What happened?" Ruthie demanded, with concern. Lucy fell to the floor as a crying mess. She looked at them, and tried her hardest to explain.

"I was walking home from the promenade with Gabriella. This gang was trying to escape the cops and ran into us. They kicked Gabriella to the curb and she wasn't moving," Lucy informed them, through her tears.

"What? Where's Gabriella now? Is she going to be ok?" Ruthie asked. She ran to her sister, throwing her arms around her.

"I don't know!" Lucy answered, "Kevin was in one of the police cars and he took off with Gabriella to the hospital. He seemed to have forgotten me. I guess that's understandable. Our baby's in danger."

"Was she breathing?" Martin wanted to know. He seemed to be in complete shock.

"I think she was breathing," Lucy replied, "but she was unconscious and bleeding. They kicked her so hard." Ruthie began to cry with Lucy.

"Do you need a ride to the hospital?" Martin wanted to know, "You're in no condition to drive." Lucy nodded, the blood still flowing from her nose. They all ran quickly out the door, leaving it open.

Before they knew it, Martin was speeding away to the hospital in the Camden's van. Lucy sat in the backseat, crying. Her arm was bruised and she could barely move it. Ruthie was in the passenger's seat, staring out the window. Her tears had stopped flowing, but Lucy's had just begun. Martin was able to drive, but his hands shook and his mind was unsteady.

"Where did Mom and Dad go, anyway?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence. She was barely audible, but it was so quiet in the van that you could hear a pin drop.

"Dad had a meeting," Ruthie replied, "And Mom went to the store. Dad dropped her off and is picking her up after his meeting. They're trying to cut back on gas or something."

Those were the last words spoke in that car until they reached the hospital. As soon as they pulled up, Lucy opened the car door and rushed out. Martin hadn't even found a parking spot, but Lucy was already inside the hospital. She hurried to the desk, still sobbing.

"I need to know where my daughter is," Lucy demanded to the woman behind the desk. She looked at Lucy with concerned eyes.

"Who's your daughter?" The woman needed to know.

"Gabriella Kinkirk. She's one month old and she's hurt really bad," Lucy explained.

"You're the cop's wife?" The woman asked. Lucy nodded, her tears flowing as heavy as ever. The woman pointed down a hall, where Lucy spotted Kevin. He was talking to two doctors. Lucy ran as fast as she could to Kevin.

"Kevin!" She called, and flew into his arms. Unable to say anything, and not wanting to hear anything, she buried her head in his chest and cried there.

"Lucy?" The doctor tapped her on the shoulder, "We need to talk." Lucy pulled her head away from Kevin and looked at the doctor. She sniffed and tried her hardest to stop crying.

"Is my daughter going to be ok?" Lucy demanded, her voice low and upset.

"I'm sorry Lucy," The doctor began, "Your daughter took a violent blow to the head. It was too powerful for her small body. We lost her." Lucy's heart skipped a beat and then fell. A knot formed in her throat and she couldn't speak. Tears continued to fall from her eyes, but she made no sound. The two doctors walked away, leaving Kevin and Lucy silent and alone. Kevin's hands shook fiercely, but no tears had escaped his eyes.

"They tried," Kevin stated. As soon as he spoke those two words, Ruthie and Martin found them.

"We were looking everywhere for you guys," Ruthie stated, "The lady wouldn't tell us anything." Martin and Ruthie noticed their faces and silence.

"Is she going to be ok?" Martin asked, uneasy.

"She took a violent blow to the head. It was too powerful for her small body. We lost her," Lucy answered, repeating the doctor's words.

"What?" Ruthie gasped, "I have to call Dad."

She quickly ran, in search of a pay phone. When she found one, she paid two quarters and dialed the church's number. The phone rang twice before anyone answered.

"Hello?" Eric Camden's voice came through the phone, which made Ruthie's heart fall.

"Dad," Ruthie cried into the phone, "It's Ruthie. You've got to get down to the hospital."

"Ruthie? What's wrong honey? Is everything ok?" Eric wanted to know. He heard Ruthie's sobs on the other end of the line.

"Something bad happened. Gabriella is dead," Ruthie informed him, not beating around the bush.

"What?" Eric demanded.

"I can't explain it all right now. Just get here."

"I'll be right there, honey," Eric assured her, then hung up without a goodbye.

It took twenty minutes for Eric and Annie to arrive at the hospital. Annie was in tears and Eric in shock. They all met at the hospital and cried together.


	3. Three: What You Need

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Three: What You Need**

The next few days were a complete hell for the entire Camden/Kinkirk family. Preparations for the funeral were made. Tears were shed. Friends of the family had been scarce, but the calls had been so persistent that they had to unplug the phone.

Lucy slept on the Camden's couch all day. Her depression was so deep that she didn't even want to eat. Kevin took a leave from the police force, and was seriously considering not going back. The day of the funeral came too quickly, but not quickly enough. It was a quick funeral that involved a lot of sad faces and crying.

Afterward, Lucy sat in a secluded corner of the park. It was a beautiful place that no one seemed to have discovered. It was a few feet from the woods, with only a swing and some trees surrounding it. Not much fun for the kids, Lucy assumed. She sat in on of the two swings in the gray set. Her tears seemed to have dried up, but her heart was still plagued with sadness. Lucy looked up and noticed Amelia Smith approaching her.

Amelia was about as tall as Nichol. She had short, dark hair and big, hazel eyes. She was so thin that some might think she had an eating disorder, but it didn't take away from her beauty. Her face was marked with a small, curved-up nose and a small scar on her cheek, which no one ever seemed to talk about.

Both women were dressed in black dresses. Neither had changed since the funeral. Amelia sat beside Lucy on the empty swing, but was reluctant to make conversation. She'd never gone through anything so traumatic, and couldn't imagine what Lucy was going through. She only stared at the ground, occasionally meeting Lucy's eyes, but only for short moments.

"I'm sorry about all of this," Amelia spoke, her voice low. Lucy shook her head a little.

"It's not your fault," She answered, "It's no one's fault. I thought it was mine at first, but I'm over that now. I guess I thought that because I miss her so much. I miss her _so_ much."

"This is such a bad situation," Amelia stated, "I don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling. How do you feel?" She glanced at Lucy for direction, but received none.

"Like I have no reason for living anymore," Lucy replied, "My reason for living was taken from me." Amelia's eyes shifted to the ground. She kicked it effortlessly with her feet, barely stirring up the loose dirt.

"This has got to take the cake for the worst day of my life," Amelia told Lucy, who stared at her.

"The worst day of your life? Imagine how I feel," Lucy challenged. Amelia nodded.

"I can't," Amelia explained, "Nothing like this has ever happened to me and I hope it never does. I mean, bad stuff happens. I just can't imagine losing a daughter I was just starting to get to know."

"You lost a baby," Lucy reminded her.

"It hadn't been born or breathing. It wasn't a month old and healthy," Amelia replied, "I wasn't even showing yet."

"Still, it had to feel kind of like this."

"Maybe," Amelia considered. Their talk was interrupted when they noticed Kevin and Nichol approaching.

"How does everyone know to come here?" Lucy asked, mainly to herself. The men were also dressed in dark colors: Kevin in a black jacket and pants, Nichol in a dark brown button-down shirt and nice jeans. Nichol was smoking a cigarette and had an opened beer in his hand. Lucy noticed a single white rose in the hand he held his cigarette with.

"You're an idiot," Amelia snarled, glaring at her husband. Nichol looked back, innocently.

"What'd I do now?" He asked, sighing. She stood up from the swing, walked to Nichol, and snatched his beer. She then proceeded to throw it as far as she could.

"I told you to stop your drinking!" She exclaimed. Kevin and Lucy watched as Amelia went off.

"Baby, it's a tough day," Nichol stated, "Give me a break. It's not like I'm drunk. That was my only one. I promise." Amelia shook her head and slapped his face, knocking his cigarette to the ground.

"Why do you have to make everything about us?" She demanded, "This is about Kevin and Lucy, not you and me."

"Why do I have to make everything about us? You're the one who's blowing all of this out of proportion," Nichol replied. Amelia shook her head again.

"I can't believe this," She muttered, and walked away. Everything was silent for a few moments. Kevin took the swing beside Lucy.

"I'm sorry about that," Nichol apologized, "She just gets angry when I drink."

"It's ok," Lucy dismissed, "You don't have to apologize."

"I need to use the restroom," Kevin informed them, "I'll be right back." He stood from the swing and headed to the bathrooms. Nichol took his seat and lit up another cigarette, then extended the pack to Lucy.

"Care for one?" He offered.

"I don't smoke," Lucy replied, coldly.

"Believe me, it'll make you feel better," Nichol promised, "I didn't smoke until someone told me that it helps relieve stress. I haven't stopped since. Actually, the only times you can catch me without a cigarette in my mouth is when I'm sleeping, in a no smoking restaurant, or having sex. Sometimes even then." Lucy smiled a little bit.

"Why were you stressed?" Lucy wanted to know. Nichol smiled deviously.

"I'll tell you that," He began, "If you have one cigarette." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Give me that," She demanded, snatching the pack. It was almost empty, but there were a few cigarettes left. She removed one and put it to her lips. Nichol pulled out his lighter and lit the cigarette for her. Lucy inhaled and immediately began a coughing fit.

"Are you all right?" Nichol asked, laughing a little. She nodded, then took a puff of the cigarette. When all her coughing had subsided, she looked at Nichol.

"Your stress?" She reminded him.

"Back in like 99' or whatever, my older brother Jake was having all these problems. He had these pedophilic tendencies and my parents were really worried about him being around my little niece. Jake had this girlfriend and she was kind of afraid of him, so she came to me. We talked and talked and realized we liked each other. Jake caught us in the act in his room and went crazy. He broke up with her and hit me. There was a lot of tension and the family eventually had to ask him to leave," Nichol explained, "I was really depressed about the whole thing and blamed myself. I had migraines and got sick a lot. A friend offered me a cigarette and I realized that it kind of balances me out."

"Your brother's a pedophile?" Lucy repeated, curiously. Nichol made some random hand gestures.

"He never did anything with kids or anything, but he was around my age now at the time. His girlfriend was eight years younger than he was and she thought he had a thing for her younger sister, who was around twelve at the time. He always liked to spend time with younger kids. He was weird," Nichol answered, "He's over it now. He's dating a wonderful girl. She's his age."

"That's good, I guess," Lucy stated. She had almost finished her cigarette, whereas Nichol had moved to another. He lit it and inhaled deeply, then blew smoke everywhere. A moment of silence passed between the two, until Lucy broke it. "What's with the rose?" She pointed to the white rose she'd noticed before. Nichol smiled and twirled it in his hand, then handed it to Lucy. Lucy looked at it for a second and handed it back.

"Isn't it pretty?" He asked, "I'd never seen a more perfect rose and I thought if one's that perfect existed, why couldn't I have it?" His fingers closed around the rose as he continued to play with it.

"It really is perfect," Lucy agreed. She touched one of the soft, moist petals and smiled. She noticed the thorns and then Nichol's calloused hand. He continued twirling it.

"Would you like it?" He offered, handing the rose to Lucy with his hand open. She shook her head, smiled, and closed his hand around the rose.

"No thanks, Nichol. It was a nice gesture, though." She rejected. Nichol smiled sweetly, then glanced at the ground. "I wonder what's taking Kevin so long." Nichol looked back at Lucy.

"He's talking with Amelia," Nichol answered, without doubt. Lucy gave him a look of disbelief.

"He went to the bathroom," She argued. Nichol shook his head. Lucy threw her cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it.

"Nah, he was just making an excuse. They're talking about her problems, his problems. Kind of like us. Funny, isn't it?" Nichol replied with supremacy. Lucy was still unsure.

"How do you know this?" She wanted to know.

"I know people," He replied, "and I know that Kevin is struggling with Gabriella's death just as much as you are. He doesn't know how to show it and how to be there for you. They're talking it through." Sure enough, Kevin and Amelia came back at the same time. Both seemed to be feeling a little better.

"I'm sorry for drinking, honey," Nichol apologized, "I wasn't thinking." He put out his current cigarette and put it back in the pack; it wasn't completely used yet.

"It's ok," Amelia assured him, "I was letting my emotions about the funeral get the better of me." Nichol got up from the swing and kissed his wife.

"We'll see you guys later," Nichol told Kevin and Lucy. Amelia waved and the two walked away, hand in hand.

"Those two are something else," Kevin stated, smiling a little. Lucy nodded.

"They're really good people," Lucy agreed, "Amelia is one of the best friends anyone could have and Nichol makes me laugh."

"I had a talk with Amelia," Kevin informed his wife, then continued, "She really helped me sort my feelings. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to act around you. I didn't know if I was supposed to be the tough guy. Amelia told me that I should just be upfront with you."

"That good," Lucy replied, a little confused.

"I'm not sure of what to do, Lucy, so I might not seem as in control as usual," Kevin explained.

"That's fine. This is a hard time for us all. It's better if we just act the way we feel and don't cover anything up. That's why I've been kind of sad lately." Kevin smiled.

"Kind of sad? Dad was about to send you to Dr. Gibson," Kevin joked. Lucy playfully hit him, but stopped smiling soon after she'd started.

"I have a confession to make," Lucy stated.

"What is it?"

"I smoked one of Nichol's cigarettes while you were gone," Lucy informed him, "He said it would help me balance my feelings. I don't know if it did, but I kind of regret it."

"It's ok," Kevin assured her, "I used to smoke, remember? Nichol used to offer me cigarettes. Like you said, it's a hard time for us all."


	4. Four: Annoyances and Reflections

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Writers Note: Sorry for not updating -- I've been kind of stuck. I got unstuck, though. Thanks for all your reviews!**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Four: Annoyances and Reflections**

Sleep was especially hard to find after the loss of Gabriella. It wasn't nearly as bad, however, as the Camden family's need to make sure that Lucy and Kevin were doing ok.

Lucy sat at the kitchen table in the Camden home, eating cereal. It had only been two days since the funeral, but this was the first Lucy had eaten since Gabriella's death. Ruthie entered the kitchen, cautiously. She smiled at Lucy and grabbed an apple, then sat down beside her sister and began to eat the fruit.

"How are you today?" Ruthie asked, a little too suspiciously. Lucy glared at her sister, who continued smiling.

"Just dandy," Lucy replied, sarcastically. Ruthie nodded.

"Have I mentioned how sad I am about Gabriella?"

"A few times, yes."

"Well, I am."

"I think I got it."

"Got what?"

"That you're sad about Gabriella."

"You're in a bad mood today," Ruthie noticed, then got up and walked away. As Ruthie left, Annie entered with the twins.

"Hi honey!" Annie exclaimed. She was unusually perky as she began putting the dishes from the night before into the cabinet. Sam and David watched Lucy with an unusual curiosity.

"Hi mom," Lucy returned the greeting, but without the perkiness.

"How are you this morning?" Annie wanted to know. She handed Sam and David each a bowl of cereal, then sat with them.

"Chipper," Lucy replied, with more sarcasm. "And you?"

"I'm fine," Annie answered, still smiling.

"We're sorry about the baby, Lucy," Sam told his sister, who was about to go mad.

"Yeah, we're sorry!" chimed in David.

"I get it!" Lucy yelled, "Ok? I get it! You guys are driving me insane. You're acting like everything's ok and giving me all this so-called 'advice' or 'help' or whatever the hell you want to call it. I'll cope with this by myself and I don't need to be reminded of it by my own family." She stood up, put her bowl in the sink, and walked outside to the garage apartment, slamming the door behind her.

She found Kevin reading the newspaper while sitting on their bed. He glanced up at his wife, who's face was that of pure annoyance.

"What's wrong, Luce?" Kevin wanted to know.

"No one will leave me alone about Gabriella. They keep asking me 'how I'm feeling' and that's so unusual of them!" Lucy exclaimed.

"They're just trying to help. They've been the same way to me," Kevin replied, "It's kind of nice."

"It's nice, but it's not necessary," Lucy argued.

"Maybe not, but --"

"Look, I don't like it. Now, I'm going to go splash some cold water on face. When I come out, I'm going to take a nap and hope this all goes away," Lucy decided, near tears.

She walked into the bathroom and turned on the water faucet. She filled her hands with water and splashed it onto her face. She felt much better after she'd done this, but nothing could erase the pain she still felt in her heart. Lucy exited the bathroom and plopped onto the bed, where Kevin was still reading.

"I have no one to talk to about this," Lucy stated, sparking Kevin's attention.

"What's that?" He asked.

"I'd like to talk to someone about Gabriella, but there's no one to talk to. You're going through the same thing and my family's being too touchy-feely," Lucy explained.

"You can talk to Amelia or Nichol," Kevin suggested.

"Is it sad that they're our only friends?" Lucy wondered aloud.

"I don't know. We had friends," Kevin answered, "Until Roxanne left."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, "I wish she was still here. I never thought I'd ever say that."


	5. Five: The Offer

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Writer's Note: Thanks for the great comments! I appreciate it. I'm also sorry if this is a little slow developing. Again, thanks for the reviews!**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Five: The Offer**

It had been around two weeks since the funeral when Lucy and Kevin received a visit from Amelia and Nichol. Kevin and Lucy sat across from their company at their small table. Everything was silent. Nichol had a cigarette lit and seemed to be enjoying it; Amelia continually stared at her glass of Coke. She didn't drink it, but she looked at it.

"And so it is," Nichol said, breaking the silence. Amelia glanced at her husband; Kevin and Lucy snapped out of a daze.

"And so what it is?" Kevin asked, a little confused. Nichol shrugged and put out his cigarette in his ashtray, which he brought everywhere he went.

"I'm not sure," He answered, "but the silence was creeping me out."

"Yeah," Kevin agreed, "Can we cut to the chase?" Nichol looked a bit alarmed.

"The chase? What chase?" He wanted to know, "I gave up on the force long ago." His lips curved into a smile, but he immediately dropped it.

"We're moving to Albany in two weeks," Amelia began. Lucy looked up at Nichol, who stared happily back at her.

"That soon?" Kevin asked, a little shocked, "That's great!"

"Yeah," Nichol answered, "We went there last weekend and found a nice house. Three bedrooms, big living room, nice bathrooms; it's basically all that we'll need and more." He lit another cigarette.

"We know how much your family has been bothering you about your feelings on Gabriella and how you're doing and all, so we were wondering if you might want to come with us," Amelia announced. Lucy and Kevin's eyes went wide.

"To live?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Nichol answered, happily, "Just think about. Two young couples in New York in the spring. It'd be fun."

"I don't know," Kevin said, hesitantly.

"We've got it made here," Lucy agreed.

"We don't pay that much and the Camden's provide all our food and everything we could want and more," Kevin added. Nichol nodded, lighting another cigarette.

"You can't rely on Lucy's family to support you forever," Nichol informed them.

"Plus, our house is really nice and big. We'd really like someone filling up the other rooms," Amelia replied.

"Maybe you'll have kids someday," Lucy stated.

"That won't happen," Amelia replied, laughing. Nichol glared at his wife.

"Yeah, that won't happen," He repeated, angrily. A moment of tense silence passed before anyone said another word. Nichol finished his cigarette and dumped the ashes in his tray in Lucy and Kevin's trash can.

"Promise us you'll at least think about it," Amelia spoke, breaking the silence. Kevin nodded.

"We'll think about," He stated. Lucy nodded.

"We'd better go," Amelia decided, nudging her husband gently. He flinched at her touch, but ultimately nodded.

"Yeah. We'll talk to you guys within the week," Nichol added. The two stood up and made their way to the door. Lucy and Kevin followed.

"We'll give you guys a call or something," Lucy told them.

"Yeah," Kevin agreed, "With our decision. We'll definitely think about it."

"That's all we ask," Amelia replied, smiling. She and Nichol walked out the door, closing it behind them. Lucy walked across the room and turned on a fan. Kevin watched her with curiosity.

"Honey, it's March," He breathed. Lately he'd been somewhat confused by his wife's actions.

"I'm trying to get rid of the smell of Nichol's cigarettes," Lucy explained. She took a seat at the table and laid her head on it.

"What do you think about it?" Kevin wanted to know. Lucy shrugged.

"Nichol's smoking? I think he smokes a little too often, but what can you say?" Lucy replied.

"No, about their offer," Kevin said, correcting himself.

"Oh. I don't know. It's nice that they invited us, but I don't know if it's the right time to leave my family," Lucy answered.

"Albany is closer to my family," Kevin informed her, "and we would be with Amelia and Nichol." Lucy sat up.

"Are you actually considering it?" Lucy wanted to know. She was obviously a little surprised, but tried to hold it in.

"I don't know, Lucy. My judgment is a little impaired right now. Maybe it's not such a bad idea. I mean, you've always said that someday we're going to have to get out of here. It'd be a lot easier if we had friends helping us out," Kevin explained.

"I know, Kevin, but I really think we need my family. Annoying or not, it's nice to know that they're there," Lucy argued. Kevin nodded.

"It's also nice to know that all we need is each other," He replied, "and with Amelia and Nichol with us, we'd have a lot of support." Lucy's eyes softened.

"You really want to go, don't you?" She noticed.

"I think it could be really good for us," Kevin stated, "You know, draw us closer. We're supposed to cling to each other in these situations, not your family."

"You're right," Lucy agreed, "I'll really think about it."


	6. Six: Storytelling

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Mature Themes)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Six: Storytelling**

"It was our wedding day," Amelia began, as she helped Kevin load another box into the very large U-Haul. The two were at Amelia and Nichol's apartment. A week had already passed, so most of the stuff was already packed.

"When did you guys get married?" Kevin asked, as he picked up a heavy box and carefully placed it in the back of the U-Haul.

"2001, but we'd been dating since 99'. I actually dated Nichol's brother before I dated him, but he kind of creeped me out. He was too old for me anyway," Amelia replied, "I fell for Nichol's charm, I think. I mean, he's sweet, but he's not the nicest person ever. He can be the most persuasive, though."

"Yeah," Kevin agreed, loading the last box, "Where is Nichol anyway?"

"Chiropractor," Amelia answered, a tinge of anger and sarcasm in her voice. Kevin noticed.

"Ah, for the whole police thing?" He asked. Amelia nodded.

"He doesn't need a chiropractor. It's been months since he was on the force. I don't give one shit if he had some problems with his back. It's been months ago and I don't think he needs to be racking up the bills like that when it's unnecessary. I mean, we already spend enough money on cigarettes each month," Amelia spat, then softened her voice, "I'm sorry, Kevin. I shouldn't be rude to you because of Nichol." Kevin shrugged, then sat on the porch.

"It's fine," He assured her, "Sometimes you need to get things in the open."

"I know you must get annoyed with me complaining about him all the time. Our talks used to be about more than my spousal problems," Amelia explained, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, really. I'm sure I've talked about my problems before; I don't mind discussing yours," Kevin replied. Amelia smiled.

"I'm so glad that we talk," She commented, "I love Nichol, but he's not the easiest to talk to. You're different than that. I guess that's why I like you so much. Anyway, what was I talking about?" Kevin smiled.

"Your wedding," He reminded her.

"Oh yeah. It was our wedding day and everything was supposed to be perfect. I had the most beautiful dress ever and Nichol looked so good in his tux. The flower girl, who was Nichol's little niece, was sick and we didn't know what was wrong with her. It came on really sudden, you know? She didn't have any symptoms, but she said she just didn't feel good and didn't want to be in the wedding. We didn't make her and had to completely renovate our plans for the wedding," Amelia told him.

"What was wrong with her?" Kevin wanted to know. Amelia shrugged.

"We never found out. The point of the story isn't what was wrong with Nichol's niece. It was the fact that because of one thing, we had to change our plans that we'd worked at so meticulously. It kind of relates to your situation. You and Lucy had a plan of how you were going to raise Gabriella to be the best person that she could be, despite your problems. You had these plans and were so sure that life had finally given you a break, but then this happens and completely throws everything off. Life is going to do that every day of our lives. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm really glad that you and Lucy are coming with me and Nichol. I feel really blessed to be close with you guys," Amelia explained. Kevin smiled.

"You're a great friend to have," Kevin replied.

-

Meanwhile, at Lucy and Kevin's apartment, Lucy packed her things into a box. She was trying to get as much as she could into a box without overstuffing it. When she'd realized she'd gotten as much as she was going to in her box, she closed it, taped it, and pulled out her marker. On the box, she wrote 'kitchen'. She heard a knock on the door, and went to answer it. She opened the door and saw her father standing in the doorway, a smile on his face.

"Dad! I was expecting Nichol," Lucy stated, a little shocked. Eric smiled and let himself in. Lucy closed the door and followed her father as he paced.

"Honey, we need to talk," Eric began. Lucy grinned.

"Uh oh," She laughed. Eric wasn't smiling.

"Are you sure you want to move to Albany? I mean, you sprang it on us so suddenly," Eric told her, recalling how she'd just told him that they were leaving a few days ago.

"It was sudden," Lucy replied, "I mean, Nichol and Amelia just asked us to move with them last week. They gave us a week to think about it and we decided that it could be good for us."

"I'm not sure that Nichol and Amelia are the best people to be moving in with," Eric commented, which confused Lucy. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"What are you talking about? Nichol and Amelia are really good people," Lucy argued.

"They're nice, but they're not a good influence on you. Nichol smokes like it's going out of style, Amelia yells at him all the time. I don't think their family life is the best," Eric explained. Lucy shook her head and uncrossed her arms.

"Nichol smokes cigarettes; it's not like he's a pot dealer or anything. Amelia gets ticked off a little to easily, but she's just trying to make their family life better. They at least have goals for their life. Not everything is perfect for everyone, Dad. It sure isn't for us," Lucy reminded him. Before Eric could say anything, there was a pounding at the door. Lucy began walking to the door.

"Let me in and we can make dirty, filthy, violent love!" The person yelled, obviously putting on a fake Texan accent, "Hurry up now or you'll be too late." The person continued to pound on the door. Lucy opened it to reveal Nichol in the doorway, smiling wickedly.

"Hey Nichol," Lucy greeted him, smiling.

"Sorry I'm late. I was at the chiropractor," Nichol explained.

"Nichol," Eric greeted, a little uneasy. Nichol's eyes went wide when he saw the reverend in the apartment.

"Reverend Camden, I'm really sorry," Nichol apologized, "I was just kidding about what I said earlier. I'm not really sleeping with your daughter and if I was, it wouldn't be dirty or, or violent. I'm not uh - like that." Nichol noticed Eric's face turn to interest. "I'm going to shut up now."

"That'd be a good idea, Nichol," Eric agreed. Nichol nodded. An uncomfortable silence passed.

"Dad was just leaving," Lucy stated, "Right Dad?" Eric stared at Lucy, then understood.

"Oh, right. Right," He agreed, then headed for the door. Before he left, he turned back around to Nichol to say, "Nice to see you again, Nichol." Nichol smiled.

"You too, sir," He replied. Eric smiled and left the apartment. As soon as Eric left, Nichol fell back on Lucy's bed and sighed with relief. Lucy laughed and sat beside him.

"Your dad makes me so nervous. I can't imagine how Kevin feels," Nichol told her. Lucy smiled.

"I think it's the minister thing," Lucy stated, "He freaks a lot of people out." Nichol shook his head as he sat up beside Lucy.

"I think it's the fact that he hates me," Nichol told her. Lucy's face indicated that he was crazy.

"My dad doesn't hate you!" Lucy exclaimed, "What gave you that idea?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe because of the way we met."

"How you met? Didn't you meet through Kevin? Like you met me?" Lucy asked. Nichol shook his head.

"No," He replied, "It was much more unusual."

"How so?"

"It was in about the year 2000. Amelia and I were seeking counseling before we got married. You know, to make sure we were ready. We'd heard a lot about your dad and called him. We met with him and I totally flubbed everything."

"How'd you 'totally flub everything?'" Lucy wanted to know. Nichol grinned.

"You know me. I can't keep my mouth shut. First off, I saw a picture of your sister and said she was hot."

"Ruthie?"

"No! I'm not a pervert, you pervert," Nichol replied, laughing, then got back to his story, "Mary. He said that it was his daughter and I said that he must have a beautiful wife. He took that the wrong way because when I said it, it came out that I was calling him hideous because if Mary turned out beautiful, her mother must be equally beautiful. Amelia was getting pissed, so I told her I was sorry and lit a cigarette right there in your dad's office. He asked me to put it out, and I wondered why, and he said because it was a church and was God's house and he hated the smell of cigarettes anyway. I remember this so remarkably well. I said, 'What are you, afraid you'll get some sort of second-hand smoke cancer? I've been with Amelia long enough and she hasn't gotten any diseases.' By then, Amelia was about as embarrassed as she could possibly be, and you know Amelia, she can get embarrassed. I made some sort of smart remark to your dad about how I wasn't talking about STD's or anything when I said I hadn't given Amelia any diseases, and he asked what I said, and I was like, 'What? You think I have no right to mention sex in the house of God? Well me and Amelia just did it last night at her parent's house. Twice.' He tells me that he wasn't being rude and just couldn't understand me because of my accent. I apologized, but we didn't go back." Lucy's smile was wide and her eyes were lit.

"That's hilarious!" She exclaimed, cracking up, "Why didn't you ever tell me this before?" Nichol shrugged.

"I don't know, it never came up," Nichol replied, smiling.

"When are Kevin and Amelia bringing over the U-Haul? I have almost everything packed," Lucy informed him. Nichol fell back on the bed again and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm not sure," He answered, "Amelia never tells me anything. She's been so angry with me lately."

"Why?" Lucy asked. Nichol shrugged.

"Things with her have been so weird lately. I mean, for about a year now, but more after Gabriella's death. It's as if she's not telling me something," He explained, "Ah well. Forget it. It's not a big deal." Lucy nodded, but her mind raced to figure out what was wrong with Amelia.


	7. Seven: Tattoos, Secrets, and Lies

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Seven: Tattoos, Secrets, and Lies**

The following Monday, Lucy, Kevin, Amelia, and Nichol began the long drive to Albany. Lucy and Kevin, who didn't know the way, were behind Nichol, who was driving the U-Haul. Amelia was driving her car alone. Altogether, they had three vehicles trying to keep up with each other for three days of straight driving. On the third day, Kevin drove the car. It was around 4:00pm and Lucy was sleeping silently in the passenger's seat. She stirred as they hit a bump, and awoke.

"What happened?" She muttered, trying to wake herself up. Kevin shrugged and continued staring at the road. Lucy yawned, then wiped her eyes.

"It was just a bump, no big deal," Kevin replied, "You can go back to sleep if you want." Lucy shook her head.

"It's ok. I'm not that tired anymore. How far are we?" She wanted to know, while stretching. Kevin shrugged once more.

"I'll ask Nichol whenever we pull over for gas," Kevin told her.

"When will that be?" Lucy asked, adding, "I have to pee." Kevin smiled.

"Soon, I promise," He answered. Lucy looked at Kevin. He was wearing a wife beater, so she could plainly see his muscles. She also noticed a small bit of red on his shoulder.

"What is that?" Lucy asked, pointing to his right shoulder. Kevin glanced down, but quickly back up.

"What is what, honey?" Kevin wanted to know.

"It's like a small circle of red on your shoulder," She replied. Kevin fidgeted in his seat as Lucy leaned in for a closer look. She could plainly see a small, red heart with the word 'AS' written inside. "It's a tattoo."

"Yeah," Kevin simply replied. He had nothing more to say about this marking on his skin, and wished that Lucy would leave it alone. But of course, she pressed on.

"Why does it say 'AS'. Did you lose an extra 's' or something?" Lucy asked, laughing, "Why as?" Kevin shrugged.

"I'm not sure," Kevin replied, "I can't believe I never showed you that. I've had it since before we met. I was drunk the night I got it. I don't know what the heck I was thinking. I don't know what as means."

"That's unlike you," Lucy told him, "Didn't you tell me that you never did anything crazy when you were drunk and that you hadn't gotten drunk that often?" Kevin became tense.

"I guess I forgot about it. I mean, it's so small that it's easy to forget. You've never noticed it before, so I guess I forgot," Kevin explained. Lucy nodded slowly. She noticed the strangeness in his voice, but couldn't help believe his story when he smiled at her.

At that moment, Kevin pulled into a gas station behind Nichol. Amelia soon followed. Everyone grouped together as they filled their tanks with gas.

"How far are we?" Kevin wanted to know. Nichol, who had a new cigarette lit, paged through a map.

"I'm looking," He answered, almost angrily. The four of them stood between their cars on the little piece of sidewalk where the gas hose was. Amelia sat on the ground and sighed.

"This trip is taking so long," Amelia stated, "I just wish we could get it over with. What I'd give to sleep in my own bed again and not have Nichol bruise me with his elbows in those tiny motel room beds." Nichol ignored her comment for the time being as he found the right page on the map.

"Eighty miles. We're getting awfully close. That wouldn't be more than an hour and half if it wasn't for this traffic. It'll put us up to about an hour and forty five minutes," Nichol predicted. Lucy swatted at a fly.

"This atmosphere is so sticky," She noticed, then glanced at Nichol, "Is it like this in Albany?" Nichol shook his head.

"No. It's beautiful there, I assure you," He answered, smiling. Amelia stared at him, then stood up.

"How much is this trip costing us?" She wanted to know. Nichol averted his eyes back to the map. He closed it and put it under his arm.

"I'm going to go pay for the gas," Nichol informed them, "Ready Kevin?"

"Yep," Kevin replied. The two walked into the gas station to pay for the gas, leaving Amelia and Lucy to talk.

"How's the trip?" Lucy asked. Amelia glanced at Lucy.

"You're here too," She reminded Lucy. Lucy laughed, then rephrased her question.

"I mean, how's the trip for you? As in the car and your feelings," Lucy explained.

"It's fine. What about you guys?" Amelia asked.

"Pretty good. Kevin has a tattoo," Lucy informed Amelia.

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Yeah. It's on his right shoulder. It's a little red heart. Inside the heart is the word 'as,'" Lucy explained, "He said he got it before he met me when he was drunk, but he was acting so strange about it. It makes me think he's lying to me about something, but I don't know what. He knows he can tell me anything."

"I don't know what he'd lie to you about," Amelia agreed, "Maybe you're imagining it." Lucy shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe," Lucy replied, unsure. As Lucy was pondering Kevin's mysterious tattoo, the guys came back from the gas station.

"You guys ready to get back on the road?" Kevin asked, putting his arms around both Lucy and Amelia.

"Yeah," Lucy answered, but she was definitely going to work on him.

-

I didn't receive reviews for the last chapter, so I hope you guys didn't lose interest. Please review!


	8. Eight: A Room With A View

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Writer's Note: Sorry for not updating! I've been so so busy. I hope no one's stopped reading, though. Please review:D**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Eight: A Room With A View**

Lucy's grin was wide as they reached the house in Albany. Nichol pulled into the driveway with the U-Haul, while Kevin and Amelia parked in the street. All four hurried out of their vehicles and faced the house in which they were about to live. Their eyes fell upon a small house with white siding. It was in the shape of a rectangle, stretching to the yard. It had a small porch, with three steps leading up to the door. A fence separated their yard from the neighbor's, who's house was incredibly close. Nichol ran up the stairs to the house and unlocked the door, then rushed inside. Lucy, Kevin, and Amelia followed behind him.

Lucy's mouth gaped in amazement as she stepped into the living room. It was bare, with the exception of a light, unstained carpet on the floor. It was painted white and had two windows. She stepped into the kitchen, which had a linoleum floor. It wasn't as nice as the living room, but it wasn't trashy either. The stove needed clean, the refrigerator was small, but there was ample counter space and a nice, big sink. She walked back to the living room, and down a small hall to the first bedroom. It wasn't big, but it wasn't small. The walls were a light cream color and it had two windows, a small closet, and several plug-in outlets.

"Nichol says that this one is ours," Kevin informed his wife as he walked up behind her. Lucy smiled, then turned to kiss her husband.

"This is so great," Lucy stated, "Who would have thought that we'd be living in Albany, New York? This is awesome."

"Yeah," Kevin replied, smiling, "It is. Do you want to borrow Amelia's cell phone to call your parents and let them know that we're here?" Lucy nodded. Kevin walked out of the room. Lucy continued wandering the house until Kevin came back and handed Lucy the phone. She dialed.

"Hello?" Came a voice.

"Ruthie!" Lucy exclaimed, "It's Lucy."

"Hey!" Ruthie replied, "Did you guys make it yet?"

"I'm standing in the house now," Lucy answered, "It's really nice. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. I really miss you guys, though. I mean, I know you haven't been gone that long, but it feels like you have," Ruthie explained.

"I know," Lucy agreed, "I miss you guys too. But hey, you can come out and visit us sometime."

"Really?" Ruthie asked, lighting up, "When?" Lucy laughed.

"Don't rush things! Maybe this summer. You can fly here. It'd be fun," Lucy replied, "But we need to get settled in first."

"Summer? That's too long. What about spring break?" Ruthie asked.

"When's that?"

"April."

"We'll see, but probably," Lucy replied, "Can I talk to Mom?"

"Sure," Ruthie agreed, then called out for Annie Camden.

"Lucy?" Annie answered.

"Hey Mom," Lucy greeted, "We made it."

"That's great, honey," Annie told her, "How is the house?"

"It's small, but it's really nice. Amelia picked it out. She has good taste," Lucy stated, "It's so bare. I can't wait to settle in."

"I'm happy for you," Annie replied, "Who's phone are you using, by the way?"

"Amelia's," Lucy answered.

"Ah. Have you guys thought about jobs yet?"

"Kevin wants to get on the force down here, but I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," Lucy admitted.

"Why not?"

"I don't know," She said, nervously, "I guess I don't want to lose him. It's a dangerous job. He's had really good luck with it, but I'm afraid I'll jinx it." Annie laughed.

"You won't jinx it, honey!" Annie exclaimed, "It doesn't work like that. Besides, Kevin can take care of himself. You know that." Lucy only sighed.

"I know, but I never thought I'd lose Gabriella either. It was weird. A freak accident. That could happen again. You never know," Lucy explained.

"You're paranoid, Luce. Nothing is going to happen to Kevin," Annie assured her.

"What about Amelia and Nichol?"

"Nothing bad is going to happen to anyone!" Annie exclaimed, "Honey, you're going to be fine in Albany. You'll be fine wherever you are."

"Ok," Lucy replied, still unsure, "It's exciting, but it's scary at the same time."

"I understand that, Luce," Annie agreed, "I've been there."

"Yeah."

"You'd better get your stuff unpacked!" Annie exclaimed, "And stop using up Amelia's minutes." Lucy smiled.

"Ok," She replied, "I love you." She pulled the phone from her ear and pressed the off button.

Please review!


	9. Nine: Unmade Beds

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Nine: Unmade Beds**

The days flew by so quickly that Lucy and Kevin could barely believe it. A week passed before anyone felt like getting the house in order. The kitchen was set up, and both bedrooms were finished, but the living room still lacked furniture and everyone in the house still lacked jobs.

It was on a Tuesday that everyone felt semi-motivated to get some real work accomplished. Kevin sat at the kitchen table, searching through the newspaper's Help Wanted ads. Equipped with a highlighter and a phone close by, he was content for the time being.

Amelia found herself rushing around the house like a maid. She cleaned, straightened, dusted, and arranged. No one dared to speak to her, though, as she was in a complete funk.

Nichol entered the kitchen, picked up his car keys, and was almost ready to walk out the door when Lucy stopped him.

"Where are you going?" She asked, as she came out of her bedroom. Nichol turned around to face Lucy.

"I am going to hunt for some used furniture. I'm utterly sick of seeing the living room empty," Nichol announced, "Would you like to come? I'm sure you have a better eye for this kind of stuff than I do."

"Sure! I'm up for some shopping," Lucy agreed, then turned to Kevin, "Want to come, honey?" Kevin, still consumed in the newspaper, shook his head, then grunted. His grunt sent Nichol into a fit of laughter. Lucy playfully slapped his arm, then accompanied him out the door.

After a few unsuccessful stores, the two arrived at a used furniture store, Grunge Joe's, at around noon. They soon found themselves wandering about the place, checking out prices and sitting on random couches. Nichol led the way, cigarette in hand.

"Would you really buy anything from a place called Grunge Joe's?" Lucy asked, while fingering a green sofa.

"Why not?" Nichol asked, flopping onto the couch, "This is comfortable. And cheap."

"It's green! A really gross green!" Lucy exclaimed. Nichol shrugged.

"Does the color really matter?" Nichol asked, grinning. Lucy smiled, then nodded.

"Yes! It has to go with the living room. This doesn't," Lucy explained.

"What are you talking about?" Nichol asked, "The living room is white. We need to spice it up a little, don't you think?" Lucy shrugged, then sat beside Nichol on the hideous couch.

"Yeah, maybe," She agreed, "But whatever we decide on isn't going to be green." A smile tugged at Nichol's lips.

"You're dead set against the color green, aren't you?"

"Not the color itself, but this particular shade of it," Lucy explained, "It's so, so, so putrid. That's the word I'm looking for. I seriously wouldn't be able to tell if someone had vomited spinach on it."

"It's grungy," Nichol added.

"Exactly."

"What else do you think we'd find at a place called Grunge Joe's?" Nichol wanted to know. Lucy shrugged, then stood up.

"I don't know. I don't know anything except that in the three furniture places we've been to, I haven't liked anything," Lucy replied, "This is really stressing me out."

"I couldn't tell," Nichol stated, sarcasm dripping from each word.

"I'm ready to go home," Lucy announced, a hint of whininess in her voice. Nichol smiled, then stood from the couch.

"Me too," He agreed, "But I'm also starving and I know that we don't have anything that my stomach is craving at the house right now." Lucy nodded.

"Yeah, me too."

"Hardees?" Nichol suggested. Lucy's eyes lit up.

Lucy and Nichol each ate enough to feed a small army, then retreated back home. They arrived at the house around 4:00pm. They'd been gone four hours, which wasn't all that bad. Nichol was secretly glad to have been away from Amelia, and Lucy was secretly glad to be spending more time with Nichol. Her life had been lacking the happiness that it usually had, and Nichol's sense of humor brought an odd joy to her.

When she entered the house, Lucy noticed the lights off. No one was to be found. Kevin and Amelia were both completely out of sight. While Nichol was taking his shoes off, Lucy entered her room to change her clothes. She wasn't expecting what she was about to see, though. Lucy's heart fell when she saw Kevin, shirtless, in bed, on top of an unclothed Amelia. Nichol passed the room at that fateful moment, stopped, and bit his lip at the sight. Amelia didn't try to cover herself. The shock of being caught in adultery was too great.

"Lucy," Kevin whispered, breaking the deadly silence with a word he'd never wanted to utter while with Amelia. Only then did Lucy's eyes become a fountain. Amelia stared at Nichol with hatred in her eyes. He stared back in hurt, pain, and embarrassment. Kevin moved off of Amelia, who pulled the sheets around her chest.

"Are you even going to say anything?" Lucy wanted to know. Her words were barely audible through her tears. Nichol glanced at Lucy, his heart aching for her and himself.

"What am I supposed to say?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know! You're supposed to explain something. I don't know," Lucy replied.

"I'm sorry you guys had to find out like this," Amelia stated. Nichol harrumphed.

"Find out like this," Lucy repeated, "Find out like this? How long has this been going on?"

"A few months," Kevin replied, "That's all."

"That's all!" Lucy exclaimed, "That's all. Well, that's dandy. I catch my husband in bed with what I thought was my best friend and they tell me that they've only been having an affair for a few months? What is this? Why?"

"We fill each other's needs, for one," Kevin explained. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed.

"Excuse me?" Nichol interrupted, speaking the first words he'd spoken the whole time.

"Kevin is rougher," Amelia simply stated. Nichol was taken aback. Lucy continued to cry. She leaned against the door, her face in her hands. Both hands were soaking with salty tears that just didn't seem to dry up.

"So what, he's better at sex than I am?" Nichol asked, his voice rising.

"Yeah," Amelia replied, getting a little angry, "And he's much more considerate of my feelings."

"So he asks you if you're ok when he pounds you to the ground? Is that it?" Nichol asked, crossing his arms. Kevin was becoming more increasingly uncomfortable, but Amelia wouldn't let up.

"That's not even funny, Nichol. You think you're so witty and so great and tough and whatever, but you're really not as great as you think you are. Maybe you should come off of that high horse you're always on!" Amelia shouted.

"You have no right to be angry with me! Why do you always turn yourself into the victim?" Nichol asked, his voice nearly as loud as hers. Lucy lifted her face out of her hands to glare at everyone in the room.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Lucy yelled, as loud as she possibly could.

"Lucy, we can talk about this," Kevin suggested.

"I'm just so confused right now. I just need to get my head back," Lucy explained, her voice low. Nichol sank down beside her and took her hand. She squeezed it. Amelia stood from the bed, reached to the ground and picked up her bra. She proceeded to put it on, then sat back on the bed.

"You remember that baby I said I lost, Lucy?" Amelia asked. Lucy glanced at her and nodded.

"What's she talking about?" Nichol asked, facing Lucy. They stood up together and listened intently to Amelia.

"I didn't lose that baby, Lucy. I aborted it. I aborted it because it was Kevin's baby. I could have told Nichol that I was pregnant with his child and pretend to have lost it, right?" Amelia asked. Nichol's eyes were fastened on his wife, as were Lucy's. Kevin's head sank low.

"Yeah," Lucy answered. The knot in her throat almost prevented her from speaking.

"Nichol and I hadn't had sex in at least three months. Neither of us had been in _the mood_. That's why I told you not to tell him about it. Not because he would have been hurt when I lost it, but because that baby belonged to your husband. Not mine," Amelia explained, her eyes meeting Nichol's. Lucy's rage was boiling over. "Nichol wouldn't have made much of a father anyway."

"And why'd you tell me?" She wanted to know.

"I'm not sure. Fear, I guess. I found out that I was pregnant and needed to tell someone. I couldn't tell my husband, but I could tell you. Our affair was right under your nose, but you couldn't smell it from a mile away," Amelia replied. She locked eyes with Nichol again, but before she could say another word, he bolted to his room in tears, then slammed the door shut.

"Tell her about the tattoo," Amelia pushed. Kevin lifted his head and looked at Lucy. His eyes held no emotion, none of love or hate.

"AS stands for Amelia Smith. We were drunk recently and thought it would be a funny idea. We were drunk," Kevin explained. Lucy's hands began to shake. Never had she felt more betrayed than she did at that very moment.

"You lied to me on countless occasions," Lucy stated, her voice shaky, "And I can't be around you right now." Although still shaking from humiliation, Lucy quickly found herself darting to Nichol's bedroom door.


	10. Ten: Closer

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Ten: Closer**

Lucy knocked cautiously at the door. She had no luck at receiving a response. She opened the door slightly and her eyes came upon Nichol. He was sitting on his bed, cradling his pillow in his arms. Tears were streaming from his eyes, down his cheeks, and falling carelessly to wherever they decided to land.

"Nichol?" Lucy called, softly. He lifted his head slightly and half-smiled at Lucy. She entered the bedroom slowly, then closed the door behind her.

"Did they have anything else to say?" Nichol wanted to know. His voice was low and self-conscious. The happy, witty, smart Nichol that Lucy usually saw was replaced with a small, whimpering, fearful man that Lucy felt she'd known all of her life.

"Not really," She replied, wiping another fallen tear from her cheek. She sniffled, then added, "Kevin has a tattoo. He lied about the meaning of it. It's Amelia's initials. They were drunk and had it done. That's basically it." She sat beside him and grasped his hand into hers for support.

"I can't believe the things they said," Nichol stated, "Brutal." Lucy nodded.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the baby. I should have," Lucy apologized. Nichol shook his head.

"Amelia was your friend. She confided in you, or so you thought. It's not your fault. We're the victims in this," Nichol replied, "Whether Amelia wants to let us be or not." Lucy nodded.

"Why did we even come out here?" Lucy asked, curiously. Nichol glanced at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Lucy began, "Me and Kevin, Kevin and I, we came out here to Albany with you and Amelia. If this was going on, why did we come here?"

"I-I don't know," Nichol answered, honestly.

"Who's idea was it to invite us along, with you guys, to Albany?" Lucy demanded, her voice as shaky as ever. Tears had stopped flowing from her eyes and were replaced with a bitter anger. The tears were beginning to soak into her skin, and when she felt a chill, her face became cold and clammy. Nichol's eyes met hers.

"Amelia's," Nichol answered.

"And why'd you go along with it?" Lucy pushed. Nichol shrugged.

"You guys had just been through such a horrible tragedy. I really liked you and Kevin. You're good people. I don't know. I didn't think it was such a bad offer," Nichol explained.

"I don't know why anyone would ever cheat on you," Lucy stated. Nichol smiled without emotion, then sighed.

"Apparently Kevin can fulfill my wife's sexual desires better than I can," Nichol replied, "I thought that Amelia was hiding something, I really did. I just didn't think it was anything this horrible."

"Yeah. Same here," Lucy agreed. There was a drawn out moment of silence between them. Lucy stared into Nichol's red, wet eyes. She felt herself being drawn to him. Their faces slowly came toward each other until they could feel each other's breath. Nichol boldly pressed his soft lips to Lucy's. Both closed their eyes immediately. Lucy slowly moved her tongue into Nichol's mouth; he followed her lead. After a few minutes of awkward, but intense kissing, Nichol found himself moving on top of Lucy. As if asking permission, he pulled from her and looked into her eyes. Lucy gulped, but said nothing.

"Is this, is this ok?" Nichol stuttered, "We could stop." Lucy shook her head.

"I don't think I want to stop," She whispered, then lifted her head to meet his lips again. The next few moments came as fast as lightening, in flashes. Lucy pulling back the covers, unbuttoning Nichol's shirt. The air, stiff and unforgiving. More tears shed. Nichol making love to her. Bouts of heavy breathing and muffled, incoherent words spoken.

When they'd finished, Nichol moved to the side of Lucy. Both laid under a sheet, staring at each other with mixed emotions. Both were crying, clinging to each other. Nichol's right leg rested over Lucy's hip and his hand caressed her wet face with tenderness. Both were completely silent except for slight whimpers as Lucy cried.

"Are we just as bad as they are?" Lucy asked, her voice low. Nichol thought.

"I don't know," He replied, "Was this a mistake?" Another tear rolled down his cheek and fell onto the pillow that his head rested on.

"I don't know," Lucy stated, "But I think I might love you. If this were something, it wouldn't be purely physical."

"I really like you, Lucy," Nichol told her, "I might love you; I don't know. It's hard to say. We shouldn't be saying things we're not sure of when we're in pain, but I can agree with you on one front. It wouldn't be purely physical." He kissed her sweetly, then looked into her eyes.

"I feel so connected to you," Lucy admitted, "Emotionally."

"Me too."

"But this is wrong," Lucy told him, "I was becoming assistant pastor at Dad's church. I seriously don't think God is smiling down on me right now."

"Do you regret this?" Nichol wanted to know.

"I'm not sure. I'm so confused right now," Lucy explained, "But I think I need to be alone for right now." She stood from the bed and gathered her clothes. She dressed, then left the room.


	11. Eleven: Morning After

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Eleven: Morning After**

Lucy awoke. She found herself in the backseat of her car, freezing to death. Only a small blanket covered her. She looked at her surroundings. She was outside of the house. That's when she remembered everything from the day before. She'd come to her car to gather her thoughts, and had fallen asleep. Lucy suddenly heard a knock on her window. She jumped, then saw Kevin. He opened the car door.

"You're going to get sick out here. Come inside," Kevin stated. Lucy obeyed, without a word. When she walked into the house, a piercing silence sent chills down her spine. Amelia and Nichol were sitting silently at the kitchen table. Lucy and Kevin sat at the other two seats. Nichol stared at his soggy cornflakes. He had a cigarette in one hand and a spoon in the other. Amelia filed her nails. Kevin ventured out of his seat and to the cabinet. He got out a pop tart and began eating it cold.

"Anyone want one?" He asked. Everyone looked up.

"I'll have one," Lucy replied. Kevin nodded. He handed her a pop tart and sat down at his seat. The paper was in front of him, and he turned the page.

"The weather's calling for an ice storm," Kevin informed them.

"When?" Nichol asked, not looking up from his cornflakes. Kevin glanced at him, then Lucy.

"Tonight," Kevin replied. Nichol nodded, then took a long drag of his cigarette.

"It's late March," Lucy stated, "You wouldn't think it would be icing."

"Yeah, well, that's what they say," Kevin replied, "I didn't make it up. You can read it for yourself." Lucy shook her head.

"Forget it. I believe you."

Amelia still hadn't looked up from the table. She didn't plan on speaking or even acknowledging anyone at the table during this meal. A strange silence passed. Everyone had decided to ignore the night before, but Lucy's emotions were boiling over. She wasn't sure what she felt about anyone, and didn't feel like being in the same room as her husband, her ex-best friend, or the man that had become her lover.

Angry, Lucy stood from the table, threw down her pop tart, and stormed out of the house. She found herself shivering on the porch, wishing she had one of Nichol's cigarettes again. She didn't have to wish for long. Soon after she'd come out, she heard a door, then smelled tobacco. She turned and saw Nichol, holding a cigarette out to her. She willingly accepted it, then allowed him to light it for her. He lit one for himself, then stared at her.

"See what I mean about the stress?" He asked, trying his best to smile. She nodded.

"Yeah," Lucy replied, unsure of what to say. They stood in silence for a few moments, admiring the trees and the dark sky.

"What do you think about this ice storm we're supposed to be getting?" Nichol wanted to know. He leaned against the house, then blew smoke in all directions. Lucy turned to him.

"I'm not sure," She answered, "But it seems appropriate."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking," Nichol agreed. He finished his cigarette, then put it out on the side of the house, leaving a black mark.

"Listen," Lucy began, "Last night was a mistake. I was upset and hurt and sleeping with you wasn't exactly the best way to make myself feel better. I kind of regret it." Nichol put his head down, then snapped it back up to face Lucy.

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately," Nichol replied, referring to Amelia's comments the night before. Lucy's heart sank and she grasped Nichol's hand in hers.

"Nichol, it's not personal. It's just that we're both married and this can't happen," Lucy explained.

"Our spouses are committing adultery!" Nichol exclaimed.

"And that's exactly what we'd be doing. It was a mistake, Nichol," Lucy replied.

"What about being emotionally connected?" Nichol asked. His eyes filled with tears.

"We are, Nichol, but it's wrong. Morally wrong. We can't control what our spouses do, but we can control ourselves," Lucy explained, coming near to tears again, "Look, Nichol, I really like you. You're a very sweet, beautiful, caring man. But I can't do this."

"I love you," Nichol whispered, letting the tears fall. Lucy kissed his lips softly for a moment, then pulled away.

"I love you too," Lucy replied, then placed her hand on his cheek, "Maybe someday, Nichol, but not now. My mind is too screwed up." Nichol nodded, but said nothing. "I'm going to go out and clear my head a little before it ices. I'll be back soon." Lucy ran off of the porch and headed to her car. Nichol watched her closely, but someone was watching Nichol. Standing out of sight was Amelia, hate in her eyes, after hearing every word of their conversation.


	12. Twelve: The Ice Storm

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes:**

Lelia- I'd written the beginnings of this story before the name of Lucy's baby was announced, so I made it up. I didn't want to edit it to say Savannah because it might cause confusion.

pokethepenguin01- Nichol's name is pronounced _Nick - Oll_, like the coin.

**Downfall**

**Chapter Twelve: The Ice Storm**

It began to ice the next day, which was March 31, 2005. Lucy found herself home before it began to ice, but hadn't spoke to anyone. The house was deadly silent. Amelia sat in her room, staring out the window, and secretly plotting something horrible against Lucy and Nichol. She wasn't sure why; maybe it was just the idea that the tables had kind of turned on Amelia and Kevin. Now all of the power didn't lay in their hands. Maybe it was because they'd seemed so hurt by Amelia and Kevin's affair, then went and had one of their own. The best reasoning, however, was that they'd walked in on Amelia and Kevin in the first place.

"You ok?" Kevin's voice broke the silence. Amelia's head snapped to him, an undeterminable expression on her face.

"They had sex," She stated, simply. Kevin looked confused.

"Who did?" He wanted to know. Amelia rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious. The ice fell on the roof, making short crashing sounds.

"Your wife and my husband," Amelia replied, "Doesn't it make you want to do something terrible?" Kevin's eyes filled with fury. Acting on impulse, he marched into the living room where Nichol sat, reading. He grabbed and threw Nichol to the ground. It was easy for him, as he was easily twice Nichol's size.

"What are you doing?" Nichol yelled, then scooted away.

"You slept with my wife, you illiterate stool pigeon!" Kevin exclaimed.

"You slept with mine first!" Nichol spat.

"That sounds like something you'd say," Kevin retorted, "You're childish, Nichol. If someone steals something of yours, you have to steal something of theirs. It's like war when we were kids. Well, let me inform you of something: she's not yours to sleep with."

"I could say something to that same effect, but I think Amelia was past being mine a long time ago," Nichol replied.

Lucy, hearing the commotion, hurried to see what was going on. When she realized, her eyes became fire on Kevin. She wasn't glaring for long as she was quickly knocked off of her feet and thrown. Kevin held her arms down while he basically spat in her face. She struggled, but couldn't get past his grip.

"And you, you little whore! What got into you? I thought you were Godly? What happened to that? I guess when you get far enough from your parents, you reveal your true self!" Kevin yelled. Nichol had gotten up by now, and jumped on Kevin's back, bravely. This knocked his arms down. Now both the men's weight was on Lucy, but she managed to scramble away.

"She's not a whore any more than Amelia is," Nichol explained. Blood began to pour from his nose. He lifted his hand to his nose, but didn't really care if it stained the carpet.

"Nichol, I think I've had enough of your shit!" Kevin exclaimed.

"Kevin, you're not making any sense! You're not being fair! You had an affair with Amelia. You shouldn't be angry that me and Nichol slept together once. It was a mistake anyway. I'm married, he's married, and we talked it out. We decided it was wrong!" Lucy shouted.

"You decided," Nichol reminded her, his voice calm.

"Whatever," She replied.

"How did you find out about us anyway?" Nichol asked Kevin, then noticed Amelia grinning in the door way. "Oh. Now it makes perfect sense."

"What does?" Amelia asked, entering the room. She walked to Nichol and placed her arm on his shoulder. He knocked it off as quickly as it had come.

"You overheard our conversation," Nichol answered, "Don't play dumb, Amelia. You're a bitch. What's sad is I think that you know it." Amelia smiled wickedly.

"I may have had an affair," She began, "But you should have saw it coming."

"What are you talking about?" Nichol wanted to know. Now Lucy was curious.

"You may have loved me in the beginning," Amelia told him, "But you sure as hell stopped loving me soon after the excitement wore off."

"What excitement?" Nichol asked. He cast a glance at Lucy, then at Kevin.

"The excitement of stealing me from your brother," Amelia explained. Lucy suddenly understood.

"She's the girl," She whispered.

"_My older brother Jake was having all these problems. He had these pedophilic tendencies and my parents were really worried about him being around my little niece. Jake had this girlfriend and she was kind of afraid of him, so she came to me. We talked and talked and realized we liked each other. Jake caught us in the act in his room and went crazy. He broke up with her and hit me. There was a lot of tension and the family eventually had to ask him to leave."_

Nichol's head was suddenly heavy. He felt like passing out, but he stood as still as humanly possible. The only thing that moved were his eyes and the blood that continued dripping from his nose.

"Have anything to say about that?" Amelia wanted to know, "Maybe that it's true? You never had any intention of marrying me, hon. You're sweet, Nic, but admit it. At the time, all you wanted was to get laid. Because back then, you couldn't."

"I always loved you," Nichol whispered.

"Maybe so, but you're no better than I am. At that time, you wanted something: sex. This time, it's my turn. It's not my fault that the excitement wore off after a few years of marriage and you didn't want to do it anymore--"

"That's not what it was," Nichol cut her off. Amelia feigned shock.

"I was getting to it. Why don't you tell us why you really won't sleep with me anymore," Amelia suggested. Nichol put his head down, ashamed.

"Because," He began, quietly, "I'm insanely in love with Lucy." Amelia's smirking attitude faded away when she heard him say it. She knew that would be his answer, but the fact that it was now proven hurt her even more. Lucy fell to the ground in a mess of tears. She knew Kevin's reaction was going to be harsh, but she couldn't do much more. At that, Kevin punched Nichol's face, knocked him to the door, and pushed him outside. The ice beat down on them quickly. Blood flowed heavier from Nichol's nose. His size impaired him from having a chance of fighting back against Kevin. Lucy and Amelia ran outside quickly. Amelia just watched Nichol being beaten, while Lucy cried and screamed at Kevin to stop.

"Kevin! You're being so childish! Stop it!" Lucy yelled. Nichol winced in pain each time he was struck. When Kevin had finally knocked him into the ice, he stopped to rest. Nichol's back throbbed in pain. He hadn't been to the chiropractor since they'd moved and his back was bad enough without enduring the beating he just had. He laid motionless, except for his heavy breathing, in the ice. Lucy ran to Kevin and began slapping him with her fists and crying.

"Why did you have to do that? Why couldn't you have just let it go? What has gotten into you?" Lucy yelled at her husband, who grabbed her fists, but completely ignored her almost incoherent comments.

"Here we are," Kevin stated, "Standing in the ice storm, fighting. This is ridiculous. To answer your question, Luce, I don't know what's gotten into me. The idea of you and that speck of dirt together really gets at me."

"The idea of you and Amelia together really gets at me," Lucy shot back.

"I can understand that, Lucy, but don't make me look like the monster here," He warned her. Lucy glared at him.

"You _are_ the monster here, Kevin. Whether you want to be or not, you really have some issues that you need to get worked out," Lucy replied. She watched Nichol spit up blood, then lay his face in it, unable to move.

"Lucy, I still love you. I will always love you. It's just that, since Gabriella died, I've been so out of sorts. I'm not sure why I started an affair with Amelia, Luce, but I assure you that it wasn't meant to hurt you. I would never do that," Kevin explained. Lucy and Amelia exchanged a glance.

"You're lying," Lucy commented, sniffling, "I know you. You couldn't look me in the eye when you said that and you said that it had been a few months. Gabriella died a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry, Lucy!" Kevin apologized, "I really want to make things right. We can move back to Glen Oak and live with your parents again! I really want to reconcile! This thing with Amelia was nothing. We had no real feelings for each other, Luce. It was more of a fling, really." Amelia became disgusted, but remained silent.

"You say that right after you beat Nichol to a bloody pulp?" Lucy yelled, extending her arm to Nichol for emphasis. She began to walk away in anger, but looked back and added, "And don't give me that crap about not hurting me because it's too late. You already did." She walked away, tears flowing from her eyes. Amelia waited until she was out of hearing distance before she walked up to Kevin and shook her head.

"A fling?" Amelia asked, hatred in her words, "You said you loved me. Look, I knew you still loved her, but I thought you loved me too. I'm sorry if I was wrong in pursuing this and thinking we had something. I've been acting like a mad woman for the past few months because I thought that maybe you were the one for me, but I guess I was wrong. You're no better than any one of us. In fact, you're worse. I wasn't pursuing this completely out of lust."

Amelia ended her words with a smirk, then passed Kevin and helped Nichol, who was already more sore than he'd been in months, to get up. He eagerly accepted her hand and her arms stayed around him as she led him into the house.

That night, Kevin found himself sleeping on the floor of the kitchen. Lucy slept on the living room carpet, allowing Nichol to have the bed since he'd been hurt. Amelia slept in her bed, which had become an enemy of hers. None of them slept well, but the important thing was that they slept silently and very far from each other. It iced all night and into the morning.

Lucy stirred from her position on the floor when she heard the strange sound of the doorbell. Curious, she stood up, smoothed her hair, and opened the door. Her eyes went wide.

"Hey Lucy!" Ruthie greeted, perkily, "It's April."


	13. Thirteen: Everytime I Close My Eyes

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Thirteen: Every Time I Close My Eyes**

Lucy stood in a state of shock. She was speechless. Why did her little sister have to make a surprise visit during this mess?

"Lucy," Ruthie spoke, "Say something."

"Why are you here, Ruthie?" Lucy asked, stuttering a little. Ruthie laughed.

"You said I could come visit during spring break. It may not look like spring here, but we're on break all this week. It started last weekend, but I just got here this morning. I thought it could be a surprise," Ruthie explained, then shivered. Kevin came to the door, looking just as shocked as Lucy.

"What are you doing here, Ruthie?" Kevin demanded. Ruthie laughed uncomfortably.

"I'm visiting my sister and brother-in-law," Ruthie replied, "Now can I please come in? It's really cold out here."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Lucy agreed, then took one of Ruthie's bags from the porch. Ruthie stepped into the house and looked around.

"Do you have a couch?" Ruthie asked.

"Not yet," Lucy replied, "But we've been looking." Ruthie nodded, then sat down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"You've been here for awhile, but this house seems pretty bare," Ruthie noted. She continued to look around while Kevin took Lucy by the arm and led her to the bathroom. Kevin closed the door quickly and faced his wife, frantic.

"Why is she really here?" Kevin demanded.

"She's on spring break," Lucy explained, "And when we first moved in, I told her she could visit over spring break. The thing is, I completely forgot about it with what's been going on!"

"So what are we going to do? Nichol has a black eye, Amelia's gone mental, and this is the first actual conversation we've had together in a long time!" Kevin exclaimed, his voice hushed. Lucy's mind was running wild, but came to no apparent stop. She paced for a few seconds, then sat down on the side of the bathtub.

"I don't know, Kevin. I think the best idea is to just pretend that everything's normal until she leaves. We'll all have to go back to our own rooms, though. We can't argue. She can't find out anything, because if my parents find out, they'll want to come out here and help us fix it. They'll go insane. I don't want that, Kevin," Lucy decided.

"That sounds good. We'll just have to find a way to tell Amelia and Nichol," Kevin agreed.

"They're not going to like this," Lucy commented, then put her face in her hands.

"It shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean, she can't be staying here for more than a week or something," Kevin stated.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, "But we'd better go back out there before she realizes anything fishy is going on." Kevin nodded and the two exited the bathroom, hoping Ruthie hadn't noticed anything. Lucky for them, Amelia had woken up after hearing the doorbell and was keeping Ruthie company.

"Good morning, Amelia," Lucy greeted, warmly. Amelia smiled back.

"Hey. I was just saying hello to your sister. She says she's here on spring break?" Amelia replied.

"Yeah. I'd actually forgotten all about telling her she could come out. I guess I didn't realize that it'd been that long," Lucy explained.

"You guys have been gone a month now. We really miss you," Ruthie stated, smiling.

"I miss you guys too," Lucy replied. She put her arms around her sister, who returned the embrace.

Lucy and Ruthie talked for the next hour and a half. In that time, Kevin had led Amelia and Nichol away and told them about their plan. Both agreed, but neither were happy about Ruthie's visit.

That night, Ruthie went to sleep early. Lucy had made up a bed for her out of an old mattress that Amelia and Nichol had. They put the mattress in the center of the living room and provided blankets and a pillow. Ruthie was still completely clueless about the situation. Because she was sleeping, Kevin and Lucy sat in their room. They were on the bed, both completely silent.

"What if she finds out?" Kevin wanted to know.

"She won't," Lucy replied, determined.

"We can't have her finding out. We're still trying to figure this out," Kevin stated.

"We wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for you. I hope you understand that," Lucy replied, her voice filled with anger.

"Hey, you had a choice with Nichol," Kevin stated.

"I wouldn't have even thought about it if we hadn't found out about you and Amelia," Lucy explained, her tone was harsh.

"It was wrong," Kevin admitted, "The thing with me and Amelia. If I could, I never would have done it. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Lucy replied, "All is forgiven. Everything is hunky-dory. Gabriella died, you had an affair with my best friend. It's all cool, though."

"Lucy, I'm sorry. I've always loved you. I always will love you. I was just confused, Lucy," Kevin explained. She rolled her eyes.

"Stop with your lying!" Lucy exclaimed.

"What lying?" Kevin demanded.

"You weren't confused! Gabriella died after you'd started having an affair!" Lucy yelled.

"I didn't say I was confused about Gabriella, Lucy. I was confused about my feelings for you. Ok? You'd been acting so weird around that time. You were more moody than usual. I know the pregnancy had something to do with it, but you were just getting to me!" Kevin explained. Lucy's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry for bugging you," Lucy apologized, then exited the room and locked herself in the bathroom, where she cried.


	14. Fourteen: The Return of Satan

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Fourteen: The Return of Satan**

Lately, Nichol's life had consisted of simply existing. In his mind, he wasn't sure if having sex with Lucy was wrong. He'd been forced to keep his emotions in from the beginning, but now it was worse. Since Ruthie was visiting, he was expected to be his normal, sarcastic, witty self. His excuse of not feeling well wouldn't last the entire visit.

At this moment, he sat at the table. He was staring at the table, smoking a cigarette. Ruthie, or, as he'd nicknamed her, The Whirlwind, entered and sat down across from him.

"Hey, Nichol!" Ruthie exclaimed. Nichol looked up and smiled half-heartedly.

"Ruthie."

"You look kind of down in the mouth," Ruthie informed him. He shrugged, then took a long puff of his cigarette.

"I haven't felt the best lately," Nichol explained. It was true; he hadn't. Ruthie just didn't know why he'd felt like blowing his brains out.

"I'm sorry," Ruthie told him, showing true sincerity.

"You're a cool kid, Ruthie," Nichol replied, smiling a little. He blew more smoke through his mouth, unenthusiastically.

"You're cool too, Nichol," She assured him.

"Thanks." They sat in silence for a few minutes. Lucy had left early in the morning. Kevin made the excuse that she needed to pick up something at the store, which was a story that Ruthie believed. Nichol, on the other hand, knew better than that. He'd been awake when Kevin and Lucy had their argument and had heard nearly every word. Now he had to pretend that he wasn't a helpless innocent party and that he didn't want to blow Kevin's brains out before he blew out his own.

Kevin entered the room. He was all smiles and had been taking the acting thing a little too seriously. He patted Nichol on the back. Nichol hunched forward. He felt like crying, but knew he couldn't. That made him want to cry even more. He didn't, though.

"Buddy!" Kevin exclaimed, addressing Nichol.

"What?" Nichol asked, completely deadpan.

"We should go out tonight and do some manly things," Kevin laughed. Nichol glared at him.

"I don't feel well," He simply stated. Ruthie watched this unfold. She was still completely clueless as to what was happening, but she'd picked up that something wasn't right with Nichol.

"You haven't felt well in weeks!" Kevin exclaimed, "Fresh air would do you some good."

"I wouldn't say weeks. You're unusually chipper today. Any special reason?" Nichol asked, his tone not changing once throughout their whole conversation.

"The beauty of the day has put me in an exceptionally great mood," Kevin explained, breathing in.

"Kevin, it's fricking freezing outside. There's nothing beautiful about the remains of an ice storm," Nichol replied.

"Yeah, well, it's almost gone. I guess that's the beauty of it."

"I looked out this morning. It looks the same to me."

"It's melted a little."

"A little. Nothing to be unusually chipper about."

"You know me, Nic, everything puts me in a good mood."

"Since?"

"Since forever. Come on, come to the store with me."

"Didn't you just go to the store?"

"Yeah. I did. Guess that plan's dead now."

"It was never born. It can't have died."

Phone rings.

"Frick, who's that?" Nichol asked. Ruthie picks up the phone.

"Hello?" Ruthie answered, then paused, "Nichol, it's for you."

"Who is it?" He asked, curious.

"I don't know. I didn't ask," Ruthie replied, then handed the phone to Nichol. He put the phone to his ear, wrinkled his brow, and left the room for privacy.

"He never gets calls," Kevin stated. A few minutes later, Nichol entered the kitchen again, rushing around.

"Frick! Where the frick is Amelia?" Nichol demanded.

"I think she's taking a nap," Kevin replied, "I think. She was, but yeah."

"Thanks," Nichol stated, then rushed to their bedroom and shook the sleeping Amelia.

"God, Nichol, what?" Amelia shouted.

"We've got a very big problem," Nichol explained.

"What is it?" Amelia asked, her voice softer.

"Jake is coming to visit."

"What?" Amelia shouted, "No. I don't want him here."

"He says he lives close by and wants to see our place. I couldn't say no. You know I can't talk to that guy!" Nichol exclaimed.

"Ruthie's here," Amelia reminded him, "And I'm still afraid of him."

"I know, Amelia, I'm afraid of him too," Nichol agreed. Tears streaked Amelia's face.

"That guy tried to rape me," She reminded him.

"I know," Nichol replied.

"He beat the living crap out of you."

"I know."

"He's a pervert."

"I know."

"And Ruthie's here."

"I know."


	15. Fifteen: Incidents of Innocence

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: Thanks for the positive reviews! To those who don't like it, I'm sorry that you don't like it. To those that do, here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Fifteen: Incidents of Innocence**

Jake arrived that night at around six pm. He said he's sleep on the floor and wouldn't stay for more than two days. Nichol and Amelia kept their secret hidden from Kevin, Lucy, and Ruthie.

The six of them went out to dinner at a steak house called The Terry Yacht. Ruthie picked at her food; she was never a big fan of steak. Jake talked while everyone listened.

"Where's Jessica?" Nichol asked. Jake, who's British accent was more distinct and heavy than his brother's, shook his head.

"We broke up. She wasn't right for me, you know?" Jake explained. Nichol nodded. Jake was practically a giant compared to Nichol, who stood at only around 5'7". Jake was easily 5'11" or maybe 6'. Apart from the height, Jake and Nichol looked remarkably similar. Jake's smile was less genuine and more devious than Nichol's, and he lacked the sparkle in his eye that Nichol usually had, but it was obvious that they were brothers.

With his attitude, Jake made Nichol feel like a little kid. Amelia and Lucy both noticed this and felt for him, even though Amelia was more afraid for herself. Kevin, who had also noticed Jake's egotistical attitude, felt that Nichol got what he deserved. Ruthie hadn't noticed.

"Where do you live now, Jake?" Amelia asked, her voice trembling.

"Why? Do you want to come visit me?" Jake asked, then laughed like there was no tomorrow. He grabbed her leg under the table, which made Amelia jump.

"No," Amelia replied, distinctively, "I was just making conversation." She slapped his hand off of her thigh, then breathed deep.

"If you must know, Mrs. Smith, I live about two hours from here," Jake informed them, then took another drink of beer.

"Does the town have a name?" Amelia asked, her teeth gritted.

"You want to get in my pants, don't you?" Jake asked, still laughing.

"Been there, done that. There's nothing special down there, Jake. I don't see why you brag," Amelia's words cut like ice throughout the table. Nichol didn't dare crack a smile, though he felt like it. Lucy and Kevin stared at Amelia. They knew she'd once been Jake's girlfriend, but her words stopped them in their tracks. Ruthie, unbeknownst to everything, was shocked to her bone and back.

"Amelia, are you trying to say something?" Jake asked, mocking her. Nichol glared at him.

"Don't provoke my wife," He warned.

"I'm not provoking anyone, little bro," Jake replied, laughing.

"Act like you've got some sense," Nichol demanded.

"Or what?" Jake wanted to know.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" Nichol asked.

"Ooh, you hear that? Guys, I'm a bastard!" Jake exclaimed, then broke into a fit of laughter.

"Now you're provoking me, you hyena," Nichol seethed. He felt like reaching over the table and grabbing his brother by the throat, then slicing him open in front of everyone. It would prove that Jake didn't have the power to make Nichol cower.

Amelia glanced at Nichol, her eyes filled with worry. She knew he was about to blow a gasket, and she knew that she'd do something if Jake grabbed her inappropriately one more time. Jake was a joker, but he was the only one who laughed at his jokes.

The rest of dinner went that way, with Nichol and Amelia trying to put up with Jake, who would continually intimidate them. When they arrived back, Lucy and Kevin went straight to sleep. Both were exhausted from dinner and trying to keep their distance from Jake. Nichol and Amelia met in their room to have a heated argument about Jake. Jake was left in the living room with Ruthie, who sat on her mattress, looking very uncomfortable.

"So how old did you say you were, Ruthie?" Jake asked, sitting beside her. Ruthie scooted away a bit, then glared at him.

"I didn't," She shot, "But I'm fifteen."

"You're a pretty girl," Jake commented, innocently. The air stiffened and time seemed to stop.

"Thank you," Ruthie replied, softly. She looked away. Her mind told her to go into Lucy and Kevin's room and lay between them until he leaves. She felt like running away, but knew she couldn't. She wondered how Nichol could have such an asshole for a brother, but she didn't say anything. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but no matter how hard she tried, it stayed.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Jake asked.

"Uh, why?" Ruthie wanted to know. She could barely breathe.

"Just making conversation," Jake replied, repeating Amelia's line from earlier that night. Ruthie picked up on the hint of anger in his voice.

"I did, but we broke up," Ruthie explained, referring to Vincent.

"You'd probably have guys fighting over you," Jake stated, inching closer to her. Ruthie's hands began to shake slightly as she tried to remain calm.

"Not really," She told him.

"You know who you remind me of?" Jake asked, smiling a little. Ruthie breathed out.

"Who?" She asked, immediately regretting asking. She knew the answer already.

"A young Amelia. You look like she did before I first corrupted her," Jake explained. Ruthie blinked. She was more afraid than ever. "Before Nichol stole her from me."

"You know, I think I need to use the bathroom," Ruthie lied, and tried to get up. Jake pushed her back down.

"Do you know what he did to me?" Jake asked her. Tears welled up in Ruthie's eyes. She didn't know what to say. She felt like screaming, but felt like it'd do no good. Nothing would help her out of this.

"What?" Ruthie whispered. He jerked her neck back so that she was looking directly into his eyes and completely under his control.

"He slept with her. He told her that he loved her. He kissed her with the gentle passion and brutal intensity of a teenager first in love. Have you ever felt that, Ruthie?" Jake wanted to know. He practically spit in her face with the last syllable. She shook fiercely, and finally managed to shake her head as if to shout 'no'. "Good. I can be your first."

"I'm fifteen," Ruthie croaked out. He didn't listen.

"You're beautiful," Jake told her, then threw her onto the mattress and began working at her belt. Ruthie let out tiny sobs, but he covered her mouth. He took off her pants, then tore open her shirt. He fumbled with her bra for a moment, but removed it quickly. He threw it to the side and adjusted his own pants. He didn't listen as Ruthie cried, and just continued with his own fantasy. He called her Amelia and cursed at Nichol, then finished and locked himself in the bathroom. Ruthie found her clothes, got dressed, and ran out of the house. She got into Nichol's truck and locked herself in. She found no sleep, just cried all night.


	16. Sixteen: Cries in the Night

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: Thanks for the positive reviews! To those who don't like it, I'm sorry that you don't like it. To those that do, here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Sixteen: Cries in the Night**

Ruthie's tears had dried by six am the next morning. She stepped out of the truck. The crisp wind hit her face and sent a chill down her spine. She walked slowly. She felt a slight pain between her legs. She could feel the scratches from his fingernails on her stomach and chest. Remembering what he'd done to her and what she felt made her want to cry again, but she stayed brave and entered the house. Lucy and Amelia sat at opposite ends of the table, both reading the paper.

"I'm going to take a shower," Ruthie announced, her voice shaky. Not only was it an opportunity to buy some time to herself, she felt dirty. Ruthie wasn't sure where Jake was. She grabbed some clothes, then headed to the bathroom. She entered it, then closed the door. She looked forward and noticed that Nichol was shaving. It startled her.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, from shock, "I'm sorry." Nichol turned to her. He was wearing boxers and a loose t-shirt. His hair, which had grown significantly, looked like he'd just been through a tornado. It was obvious he'd just gotten up.

"It's ok," Nichol assured her, "I'll be done in a minute." Ruthie was almost afraid of him, though she knew that he wouldn't harm a fly. She noticed the similarities between Nichol and Jake, which made her almost sick to her stomach.

"Where's Kevin and Jake?" Ruthie asked, casually. Nichol shrugged, then continued shaving.

"I'm not sure. I think Jake's sleeping. Kevin left earlier. I don't have any idea where he went. He might be taking a walk," Nichol replied.

"When's your brother leaving?" Ruthie wanted to know.

"I'm not sure," Nichol answered, honestly, "Soon, I hope."

"Yeah," Ruthie whispered back, then casually asked, "How old is he?"

"Uh, he'll be twenty-nine next month," Nichol replied. Ruthie's heart jumped. He was fourteen years older than her.

"And how old are you?" Ruthie wanted to know.

"Twenty-six," Nichol told her, then glanced at her. He'd finished shaving and his face looked smooth. Jake had stubble that felt like cardboard. Nichol noticed Ruthie looking at him. "Are you ok? You're acting kind of funny."

"I'm fine," Ruthie lied. She made the mistake of letting a tear roll down her cheek. Nichol's eyes filled with concern.

"There's something bothering you. Do you want to talk?" Nichol asked. He placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort, but she jerked away and pushed herself against the wall.

"I can't talk!" Ruthie exclaimed, then added, in a whisper, "Not with him here."

"Who?" Nichol asked, "Jake?" Ruthie nodded, then slid to the ground. Nichol closed the door to the bathroom and kneeled beside her.

"What did he do to you?" Nichol demanded, his voice strong.

"Nothing," Ruthie lied, "I can't say."

"I need to know, Ruthie. Did he hurt you?" Nichol demanded, shaking her. She began to cry louder. Tears flowed freely, and she nodded. "What did he do?"

"I can't say, Nichol!" Ruthie yelled. Nichol felt like punching a wall.

"What did he do to you?" He yelled back, with force that would have knocked Ruthie down if she hadn't already been sitting.

"Last night," She began, whispering, "He told me I looked like Amelia when she was younger. He said he was angry that you slept with her. That he'd corrupted her. That I was beautiful. Then he raped me." Nichol's heart fell. He stood up and exited the bathroom, angry. He found Lucy and Amelia at the table. Ruthie followed, running to catch up with him.

"Don't say anything!" Ruthie begged, tears falling. Lucy and Amelia were immediately alert.

"That bastard raped her!" Nichol yelled, "Where is he?"

"What?" Amelia asked, her voice low. Lucy glanced at Ruthie, who was falling apart.

"Is it true?" Lucy asked her sister. Ruthie only nodded. She was quickly losing strength. Lucy and Amelia bolted from their seats and followed Nichol on a rampage to find Jake. Nichol burst into his bedroom, where he found Jake looking at a picture of Amelia when she was seventeen. Nichol pounced on his brother, knocking him to the ground. He spit in his face, then punched him in the eye. Jake may have been stronger than Nichol, but Nichol's rage was greater than any emotion than Jake would ever feel.

"What did I do?" Jake asked. Nichol kneed his brother between his legs.

"You know good and well what you did!" Nichol yelled, then slammed his brother's shoulders, "You raped Ruthie, you perverted son of bitch." Jake used his strength to roll over to where he was over Nichol. He spit in his brother's face, then rammed his head against the side of the bed. A gash appeared across Nichol's face, which became bloody as quickly as he'd gotten hit.

"Did you ever think that maybe the kid is lying?" Jake asked, "No, you didn't. You assumed that I did that because of my past. I've told you, I cleaned my life up."

My sister wouldn't lie about something like that!" Lucy yelled, then, out of nowhere, whacked Jake on the head with a glass plate that she'd brought from the kitchen. Jake moved quickly, allowing Nichol to stand up.

"I'll get you a cold washrag," Amelia told him. Nichol nodded, but kept his eye on Jake, who was on the ground, glaring up at Lucy.

"No one does that to my sister," Lucy explained, "Don't think you'll get away with this. You've stolen her innocence and she's probably never going to get over this. What's wrong with you?" Amelia returned with a cold, wet washrag. She handed it to Nichol, who placed it over the gash near his eye.

"He tried to rape me when I was seventeen," Amelia admitted to Lucy, who had broken into tears. "That's when I got involved with Nichol. Jake had really been scaring me and Nichol seemed so sweet and caring."

"Why'd you allow him in this house?" Lucy asked. Ruthie was standing in the doorway, her tears finally drying.

"I don't know," Nichol replied, "I shouldn't have. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." He turned to Ruthie. "How are you doing?" She shrugged, not knowing what to say. Amelia kept staring at Jake.

"Leave," She demanded. Jake quickly got to his feet, gathered his stuff, and left the house. Everyone hurried to Ruthie's side. That's when Kevin came back from his morning jog. He noticed the tears and hostility.

"What's going on?" Kevin wanted to know. Amelia glanced up at him, then back at Ruthie. Lucy was hugging Ruthie, who continued to cry.

"Jake raped Ruthie last night," Nichol explained, his voice soft. He patted Ruthie's back and squeezed her hand. Kevin fell beside them in one quick movement.

"What?" He asked, "What happened?" Nichol motioned that they go into another room. Nichol led Kevin into Kevin and Lucy's bedroom, then closed the door.

"My brother had a lot of issues when we were younger," Nichol began. Kevin nodded. "You know that he dated Amelia, but we kept it a secret that he tried to rape her. He's a lot older than her and she thought he was looking at her little sister kind of funny. We realized that he liked teenagers and preteens. We thought he'd gotten over it, but Ruthie said he said that she reminded him of Amelia. He raped her."

"Bastard," Kevin mumbled under his breath, then spoke up, "Did he do that to your face?" Nichol had almost forgotten about the gash on his face, which throbbed every other second.

"Yeah," Nichol answered, his voice low.

"You know, I'm sorry," Kevin whispered. Nichol glanced up at him.

"For what?" He asked, hoping he'd get a sincere apology.

"For the whole ordeal with Amelia. I knew it was wrong, and I knew it would hurt you and Lucy, but I did it anyway," Kevin explained.

"Yeah," Nichol whispered, "These past few days have been hard. It was selfish to react the way I did, but thanks for the apology. I don't think anything can be the way it was, though."

"Yeah, me neither," Kevin agreed. They continued to sit there, staring at each other. Two men wanting to cry, but not knowing how.


	17. Seventeen: Admission

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: Thanks for the positive reviews! To those who don't like it, I'm sorry that you don't like it. To those that do, here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Seventeen: Admission**

Ruthie fell asleep for the first time in 47 hours at 6:18pm that night. Lucy, Kevin, Amelia, and Nichol met outside in hushed voices. Nichol smoked. Lucy leaned against the house. Amelia sat beside Kevin, who was on the porch, head in hands.

"I think we should be honest with each other," Kevin spoke up, "And with Ruthie." Lucy turned to him. He might as well have been her ex-husband. She didn't know this man anymore. She didn't know herself. She didn't know this house. This neighborhood. Her supposed friends. The only thing she knew is that she wished she was at home, crying in her mother's arms one more time. She wished she could be thirteen again and having problems with boys like Jimmy Moon and Rod.

"What do we have to be honest about?" Amelia asked him, "With each other, I mean."

"We've been postponing the fact that sometime soon, we're going to leave each other," Kevin explained. This sparked Lucy and Nichol's attention.

"I haven't been postponing anything," Lucy told him, "My sister showed up, what was I supposed to do?"

"We could have told her straight out," Kevin suggested.

"Maybe we could have, maybe we should have, but we didn't. We pretended that everything was fine and dandy and that got us nowhere!" Lucy exclaimed. She was on the verge of tears again. Her eyes hadn't been this tired for years. The crying, the late hours, the mental stress. Everything was getting to her and she was afraid if she didn't escape, she'd explode.

"This was a mistake. Coming out here was a mistake. It was my idea and I'm sorry," Amelia apologized. A tear streaked her face. "I don't know what's gotten into me lately. I've been such a monster and I hate myself for it. I've put all three of you through such crap that I just wish I could die."

"Don't say that," Nichol commanded, throwing his cigarette. "The thing is, I'll always love you. Amelia, you broke my heart. I hate you for it, but I'll always love you. You were my first love and no matter what happens, you always will be."

"That's sweet, Nichol, but everything won't wrap up in a neat package like that," Amelia told him. Her voice had become soft and caring, replacing the sarcastic, moody Amelia that they'd been seeing for the past few days.

"I don't know what to do," Lucy admitted, "I wish things hadn't gone the way they had. If I could rewind life, I'd put it back to before you had the affair and somehow, I'd stop it."

"We can't live in the past," Kevin informed them, "That's why we're going to tell Ruthie. She's going to go home, and I'm going to move out. I can't live like this. It's not living."

"Where will you go?" Lucy asked, concerned.

"Maybe I'll go and live with my mom or Ben until the divorce is final," Kevin replied. The word 'divorce' sent chills down everyone's spine. Lucy gulped. She knew it was coming, but when it came, she wasn't expecting for it to hit that hard.

"Divorce?"

"Lucy, we can't continue being husband and wife. Too much has happened," Kevin explained, "I don't want a divorce, but what other choice do we have?" Nichol shrugged, then lit another cigarette.

"Is there any other way out?" Nichol wanted to know.

"No," Amelia replied, her voice not sure of itself.

"Where will you guys go?" Lucy wanted to know.

"I don't know. I'll probably drift somewhere. I've always wanted to try New Orleans, but I don't know. This is all moving a little too fast for me," Nichol explained.

"I don't know either," Amelia began, "But I can't stay here. I agree that we just need to get out. I need to breathe. I miss my family. Maybe I'll move in with my dad."

"What about you, Luce?" Kevin asked.

"All I want is my mommy and daddy," Lucy replied. Any other time, it would have seemed childish or funny, but secretly, that's all any of them wanted. After a long moment of silence, Ruthie exited the house to join them. She'd been awake all of five minutes, but was curious as to why everyone was gathered outside. She noticed Lucy's wet eyes. Nichol took an unenthusiastic puff of his cigarette.

"What's going on?" Ruthie asked, desperate for information. All four exchanged glances with each other. Lucy looked to Kevin to say something.

"Ruthie, can we talk?" Kevin asked. Ruthie nodded. "Could you sit down?" Ruthie sat.

"What's going on?"

"We've been lying to you," Kevin explained, "We're not happy. We made a mistake. Amelia and I have been having an affair."

"What?" Ruthie asked, shocked.

"We caught them," Lucy explained, "Me and Nichol. We slept together and they found out. We haven't been happy with each other. Actually, we've been really angry and depressed. We decided to hide it from you because we didn't want to ruin your visit."

"And we didn't want you to tell the Camden's," Kevin added. Ruthie stared at their faces blankly. No words came. These weren't the people she remembered them being.

"I won't say anything," Ruthie promised, "but I want to go home." Lucy's heart sank.

"I'll book you a flight for tomorrow," Lucy promised. Ruthie's eyes filled with tears and she nodded. She stood up and was about to go inside when Nichol spoke to her.

"Ruthie," He called softly. Ruthie turned. "I'm sorry for everything. I really am." Ruthie stared at him for a minute, then rushed into the house.

Ruthie didn't speak another word to them. She waved goodbye to Lucy when she boarded the plane, but not a word. The house was unusually quiet. Ruthie came with a heart, but within a few days, they'd broken it into pieces.


	18. Eighteen: Mourning the Sunlight

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: Sorry it took so long, been busy with school. But I'll be updating again soon if you keep reviewing. ;)**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Eighteen: Mourning the Sunlight**

Kevin quickly folded the last shirt into his suitcase, which was stuffed. Amelia sat on his bed, watching. She wanted desperately to go with him, but knew that it would never work out between them.

"I'm sorry that I loved you," Amelia apologized, her voice low. Kevin glanced at her, but quickly turned his attention back to the suitcase. He closed it, then sat it on the ground. Amelia watched him continually and tears fell down from her eyes to the sheets on the bed, which was unmade.

"I'm sorry too," Kevin replied, "And I'm sorry that all I wanted was something physical. It was wrong and all I did was hurt everyone. I'm sorry for leading you on. I'm sorry for lying to Lucy and Nichol. I'm sorry about the baby." He stroked her face and she kissed his hand. She still had feelings for him, but everything was all wrong. Lucy and Nichol were in the other room. If this was a fantasy world or if this was on television, nothing would be able to stop them. There would be spouses in the other room. There would be no more tears. He would whisk her off of her feet and carry her to somewhere far away. Somewhere beautiful.

She hadn't loved him from the beginning, but had fallen into an obsession a month or two following their introduction. When she realized that she loved him, he was leaving the public restroom at the pool hall. The light caught the reflection of his eye and the smirk in his smile. She could suddenly see the life she always wanted that Nichol couldn't give her. He smiled when he saw her, but she only stared. She watched him find Lucy, kiss her, then leave with her. They were happy. Happiness is something that she hadn't felt with Nichol in a year. That's when she decided that she needed Kevin to be happy. Apparently, she was wrong.

Amelia continued to watch Kevin as he finished gathering his stuff. It's funny how a simple attraction could go so terribly wrong, but this one did. Maybe her mind was undeveloped. Maybe she was still young. Amelia wasn't sure, but she knew that she'd never love again. If she did, she'd never be committed. What if this happened again?

Kevin remembered the first brush of attraction he felt with Amelia. It was on a Sunday night at Pete's Pizza. He was eating dinner with Nichol after they'd just met at the station. Detective Michaels had introduced them, they'd shaken hands, then agreed to meet for pizza. Nichol had told him about his beautiful wife. She arrived to pick him up and met Kevin. Nichol had been right; she _was_ beautiful. At the time, Amelia's hair was short and streaked with red and blonde highlights. She wore a white spaghetti strap that showed entirely too much cleavage, but Kevin was almost thankful for it. Her skirt was denim and came to just above the knee. She wore navy blue pantyhose and penny loafers. It was such an odd choice of clothing that Kevin almost fell in love with her at that moment. When she smiled at him, he felt warm inside. He hadn't felt that with Lucy.

Amelia was the best thing that ever happened to him, but also the worst. If it hadn't been for his wife and her husband, it wouldn't have taken long for a relationship to develop based solely upon physical appearance instead of truth and love. Kevin figured that's where everything went wrong. If he hadn't had such a desire to sleep with Amelia, everything would be ok. He didn't love her, but he knew she loved him. The tears were so real and it cut through his heart that he didn't have the same, salty tears. He needed to say the words. "_I wasn't really in love with you._" He couldn't. It was too hard. Instead, he continued to ignore her. It was the best thing, really.

Lucy sat at the kitchen table, staring at Nichol. He stared back. The cigarette smoke floated to the ceiling and disappeared. Nichol stretched his hand across the table and Lucy took it. They knew that they didn't have very much more time together. Lucy was going back to Glen Oak; Nichol was boarding a plane to God knows where.

Nichol never acted upon his feelings for Lucy. At least, not in the beginning. He knew she was beautiful from the moment he saw her, but he hated her personality. She grew on him, though, and by the time Gabriella entered the world, he loved her as a friend. He loved Gabriella. She was a beautiful child that looked just like her mother and father. He spent time with Lucy and Kevin, but never loved her until the day she came to him at the promenade.

She'd come up to him and teased him and acted like they'd known each other since high school. Sure, they'd become good friends over the past few months, but he'd never even considered her attractive until then. That's when he realized that she might just be the love he'd been waiting for. She might bridge the gap that Amelia made in his heart.

Lucy didn't fall in love with Nichol until the night that they found out about the affair. She hated to admit it, but that's how it happened. She saw Nichol's heart break and tears flow out of his eyes. She realized how sensitive he was and she urgently wanted to make love with him. They did, another regret, but Lucy felt true love. But how can you know if it's real? She'd felt love so many times in her young life that she didn't know if these feelings were love or attraction. She fell in love with Kevin, but were these the same feelings now, with Nichol?

As she looked into his deep, sad eyes, tears rolled out of hers. It was all she could do to keep her head up. The past two weeks had completely drained her senses.

"I don't know if I can live without you," Lucy admitted. Nichol had explained earlier that he had to disappear for awhile, but Lucy wasn't sure she could handle it.

"I love you," Nichol whispered. He stood and walked to her, put his hands on her shoulders for support. He turned his head to hers and kissed her deeply. Their tongues intersected and became like a poetry of heartbreak and loss.

When he pulled out of the kiss, he placed his face on her shoulder, where he wept. Short breaths came from his mouth and tears wet Lucy's shoulder, but she didn't notice. Her sense of touch had been deadened for awhile now. She took a sip of her coffee, tried to gain her composure. It didn't work. They were being broken up. The elite four were to be no more.

Kevin entered the kitchen, his suitcase in hand. He looked dressed for success, with memories weighing on his mind. He glanced at Lucy and Nichol, but thought nothing of hatred toward either of them. In fact, he couldn't blame them for the emotions they were portraying. He almost hated himself for being the only one to keep everything inside. Like a preprogrammed robot. He didn't want to be like that, but couldn't bring himself to cry. He dropped his suitcase and joined them at the table, but said nothing.

Amelia entered next. It was easy to see that she was an emotional wreck. Tears flowed freely, snot covered her nose, moans and cries escaped her voice. Her clothes consisted of flowered sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt that would be too big for even Kevin. Instead of sitting at the table, she slid to the floor beside Lucy and Nichol. They turned to her and offered fake smiles of hope.

"I'm so sorry," Amelia began, barely audible, "For ruining my marriage. For ruining your lives."

"You don't have to apologize anymore," Lucy assured her. Nichol nodded.

"We know you made a mistake," He agreed, "And I thank you for realizing and admitting it. Don't lose yourself over it. I'll always love you, and we'll always have a lot of great memories. Right?" Amelia nodded.

"Yeah, I guess," She agreed, "But I'll always look back on this and remember that it was my fault. Never blame yourself. Never. Nothing was your fault. I know it'll be hard for you guys to move on, but try. I'd hate to have been the one to ruin everything."

"It's kind of too late," Lucy stated, "But it's not the end of the world. It only seems like it." The three came into a hug on the floor. All three shed tears. Kevin glanced at them and reluctantly joined in.

"I am so sorry, Lucy. Nichol, I'm sorry," Kevin admitted, "I'm so sorry to both of you. This sucks so much, but you can get through it. We all can." He finally cried.


	19. Nineteen: Strong On My Own

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: One more chapter after this. I'll add it quicker the more people that review.**

**Downfall**

**Chapter Nineteen: Strong On My Own**

Amelia was the first to leave. No matter how much she tried, Amelia couldn't pull herself together. Since she had no vehicle, so she'd called a cab. With only her purse and a trash bag of belongings, Amelia left in a fit of tears. She'd apologized at least six more times. Of all four, Amelia was definitely in the worst condition.

Lucy, Nichol, and Kevin were almost upset to see her leave. It's as if they all wanted to get through it together, but knew they had to do it alone. They knew they'd all have to leave.

"It's my time," Kevin finally announced. His voice was not strong, but weak. Lucy and Nichol glanced up from their position on the living room floor. Both looked like the cat had brought them in. Lucy's heart jumped. A lump formed in her throat. It was the moment of her life: her husband's departure.

"What about the divorce?" Lucy asked. She wasn't sure how these things worked, but knew she'd have to be in contact with him in order for it to happen.

"I need a month or two before we do anything," Kevin explained, "I've got enough to worry about and divorces are tough. I'll call you when I'm ready. I have your parents number."

Lucy nodded, but tears welled in her eyes. While Gabriella's death remained the worst thing that ever happened to her, this pulled a close second. She stood and walked to her husband. Her legs were numb, and she felt as if she were stepping on coals, but she made it. She put her arms around him, but pulled away quickly.

"I'll be waiting for your call," She said softly, then backed away from him.

"Goodbye, Lucy," Kevin told her, then lifted his hand to her cheek. He turned away and walked out the door. He pulled out of the driveway, tears in his eyes. He refused to allow them to escape, but felt like his heart had just been broken again. No one leaves their wife like that, he thought. He thought that as he drove down the street, running far from his problems. Something he told himself he'd never do.

He didn't want to divorce her, but felt he had no choice. He had wronged her, but she'd done the same. He didn't see how anything could ever make them fall in love all over again. There was no magic potion. There was no sacrifice or way to rewind time. This was real. It wasn't like everything he'd seen happen in science fiction or fluffy, happy movies. Life could be so difficult. He wasn't sure how he'd make it, but diving in was the only possible solution.

Back in the lonely and empty apartment, Lucy and Nichol prepared their goodbyes. They sat Indian style on the floor, across from each other. Their bags surrounded them, but the furniture and the kitchen stuff was all intact.

"Have you ever abandoned a house before?" Lucy asked, then smiled. Nichol shook his head. The devious smile appeared on his face.

"Not recently," He replied.

"I haven't seen you light up in the past couple of hours. You trying to quit?" Lucy inquired, referring to his smoking. He continued to grin.

"Nah, I'm out," Nichol explained. Lucy leaned forward and kissed his lips lightly. Her hands went through his hair, which was near shoulder length. It seemed darker now, and greasy. It wasn't until now that she'd noticed the change.

"You going to keep letting your hair grow?" Lucy asked. Both were surprised how easy this conversation came. They were talking normally. The tears had long since disappeared. They still felt comfortable with each other and enjoyed each other's company.

"I don't know," Nichol replied, running his fingers through his mane, "I think I'll get it cut soon. I don't think I like this look that much. Or, maybe I'll get a mohawk." Lucy giggled.

"That'd be hot," She told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She kissed him again, then pressed her forehead to his.

"Don't you wish we could stay together?" Nichol asked, kissing her nose. Lucy nodded, but said nothing. "Think about it. We're obviously in love. Kevin and Amelia wouldn't bother us. We would love each other forever."

"What if something like this happened again?" Lucy asked, weary. She'd decided to swear off all relationships at that point.

"We were the victims in this, remember?" Nichol reminded her. Lucy remembered, but didn't want to admit to it. She didn't want to be the victim. Victims may be the good guys, but they're also thought of as weak.

"I know, but I can't do that," Lucy assured him. It was silent for awhile. There was nothing to say anymore. All conversation was used up. Lucy knew it was just a matter of time.

"I guess we need to be going," Nichol stated, after a few minutes. Lucy nodded. The two stood up and gathered their stuff. Lucy looked around the empty apartment, which didn't seem empty. The bed that had been made for Ruthie was still on the floor, untouched. Dirty dishes still cluttered the kitchen counter. The table and chairs remained empty and unmoved. It almost made her sad to think that she was moving back home.

Lucy took Nichol's hand, and they walked out the door together. Lucy's cab would be arriving any minute. Nichol was taking his car. He held her hand and lingered for a tiny moment.

"You know," Nichol began, "When you get home, watch out." Lucy was puzzled.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I'm full of surprises," Nichol reminded her. Lucy smiled. The wind blew through their hair. Spring finally seemed to be on it's way.

"I'll remember that," She promised.

"Goodbye." He kissed her softly, then walked slowly to the car. He loaded his stuff, then got in. He waved once, then started the car. He drove away slowly. He lingered. He kept looking back, and Lucy kept watching. She needed him already. She missed him already, but he was barely gone.


	20. Twenty: The Rose

**Title: Downfall  
Type: 7th Heaven Fan Fiction  
Rating: PG-13 (Sex, Alcohol, possible drug content)  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of 7th Heaven. I do own all my original characters and this story, though. Don't take.  
Summary: Tragedy strikes Lucy and Kevin, who then must decide what to do with their lives.**

**Notes: Sorry it took so long. This is the final chapter, so please review and tell me what you thought of the story! **

**Downfall**

**Chapter Twenty: The Rose**

She entered the cab in tears. The cab driver, an older man of around fifty, drove her to the nearest airport. She paid and waited for hours until the next flight to Glen Oak. The flight was horrible. She sat beside a man with long nose hair that threw up at least three times. The food was bad; the ride was bumpy. She held her tears, but knew that when she arrived home, they'd be all her family would see. The overdue welcome to a long absence would be reduced to crying and hoping and counseling.

In Glen Oak, she used a pay phone to call Annie Camden, her mother. In tears, she explained that she needed to be picked up. She said she'd explain everything once she got home.

Annie picked her up at the airport. She was immediately concerned for her daughter, who couldn't stop bawling the whole way home. Lucy explained about Amelia and Kevin, the tattoo, her night with Nichol, the ice storm, Ruthie's visit, Jake, everything. Annie offered her daughter comfort, but knew there was nothing she could do. Ruthie was immediately sent to the doctor. Her health was fine, but her heart was nearly as battered as Lucy's.

Lucy and Ruthie didn't talk anymore. They slept in the same room again, but Ruthie didn't feel she could relate to her sister anymore. All they had in common was that they secretly cried at night when no one could hear them. Ruthie had become distant at school. She was secretly afraid of all men between twenty-five and thirty.

Lucy didn't eat very much anymore. Thoughts of Kevin, Nichol, Amelia, and Jake plagued her mind almost constantly. After the first three weeks back home, she'd lost nearly ten pounds. She didn't work. She barely even came out of her room. The Camden's worried, but said absolutely nothing. They knew nothing would help. She'd learn to self soothe. She'd learn to love again, they hoped.

Her whole life was dedicated to waiting for the call from Kevin to let her know that the bomb had been dropped. That the divorce was finally underway. Lucy was afraid of getting divorced. She was upset that she'd technically committed adultery. She was angry at herself for teaching abstinence to teenagers, but winding up in a mess such as this one.

It had been a month and a half, but the call still hadn't come. No one had heard from Kevin. Everyone assumed that he was staying with his family, or somewhere near them. Lucy figured he needed more time. Honestly, though, she'd had enough time alone. She wanted someone to talk to. She missed Kevin. She missed Nichol. She missed their little house, even though living there was never the most pleasant thing in the world.

About two months after arriving home, Lucy left her room for a drink of water. She entered the kitchen to find Annie sorting through the mail. Annie handed Lucy a letter.

"It has no return address," Annie informed her, "But it's sent to you." Lucy glanced at the letter, then at her mother.

"Thanks," Lucy replied. She tried to smile, but it was as if she couldn't. Depression was such a tiny little word.

"No problem," Annie told her. She patted Lucy's shoulder, then proceeded to walk upstairs, giving Lucy some privacy.

Lucy Camden

527 Alta Rd.

Glen Oak, California 91888

Lucy noticed that the letter was addressed to "Lucy Camden" instead of "Lucy Camden-Kinkirk". A ray of hope shot through her. She tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, which contained a single, preserved, white rose. Her heart leaped when she remembered.

"_What's with the rose?" She had asked, pointing to the white rose she'd noticed. He'd smiled and twirled it in his hand, then handed it to her. She'd looked at it for a second, then handed it back._

"_Isn't it pretty?" He'd asked, "I'd never seen a more perfect rose and I thought if one's that perfect existed, why couldn't I have it?" His fingers closed around the rose as he continued to play with it._

"_It really is perfect," She'd agreed._

Lucy's fingers twirled around the rose. She sat at the table, dumbfounded, as she read the letter to herself. The words spilled onto a short, but sweet letter that almost smelled as beautiful as the hand that wrote it.

_Dear Lucy,_

_Another nice gesture._

_I miss you so much, but we said start a new life, right? I'm currently in Vegas. Sin City, eh? It's kind of awesome, but I've lost a lot of money that I don't have. I met a hooker and took her to my motel, but chickened out at the last minute. She found me curled into a ball in my bathroom, bawling like a baby. Real manly. I'm sure you care. _

_When I leave Vegas, I'm coming back to CA. Not Glen Oak, though. Maybe Sacramento or Los Angeles. Bigger cities more people that I don't have to meet. You know how it is. It's hard to get attached to people when the population is enormous. I don't know if that made sense, but it works._

_No return address, sorry. I'm the one that gets to contact you. I'm cruel and unusual. I hope you miss me. Is that wrong to hope for? I don't want to be the bad guy. _

_I'll send you another letter soon. I'd like to keep tabs._

_Love always, _

_Mr. Smith_

Lucy smiled to herself as she clutched the rose. It wasn't much, but it was sweet. She loved his sincerity, his sense of humor, and the fact that he was always honest with her. Maybe he was the love of her life. But she'll never know.

**The End**


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